Monsoon floods and landslides kill 44 in Bangladesh, leaving more than a million stranded

DHAKA: Days of intense monsoon rain have brought large-scale flooding and landslides to southeastern Bangladesh, where at least 44 people have died and more than a million people have been left stranded, according to authorities.

Bangladesh’s disaster management ministry said on Saturday that seven districts — Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Moulvibazar and Habiganj — have been hit by flooding severe enough to disrupt routine life, cut off thousands of families and leave 267,918 households stranded.

Relief operations face access problems

Efforts to reach affected communities have been hindered by electricity failures, damaged roads and disrupted communications. In several areas, people have been unable to prepare meals for days because floodwater entered their homes, while others are trying to recover after mud spread through kitchens and living areas.

Residents in badly affected districts are depending on emergency supplies and dry food such as flattened rice, puffed rice and biscuits that can be eaten without cooking. But relief delivery has become more difficult in some of the worst-hit places because roads have been washed away and bridges damaged.

Nurul Islam, a resident of a flood-affected part of Chattogram, described the conditions facing families in the area.

“There is still water inside our home and we have no way to cook. The dry food we had has run out, and we spend the nights in the dark with our children because there is no electricity,” said Nurul Islam, a resident of a flood-hit area in Chattogram.

Army and navy personnel are using boats to take food, drinking water, medicines and other essential items to communities that remain isolated, as the authorities expand relief work.

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Iqbal Hossain said the government was working to assist those affected during a visit to flood-hit parts of Chattogram.

"The government is doing everything possible to support flood victims. Relief, safe drinking water and medical supplies are being distributed, and we urge people whose homes have been inundated to move to the nearest shelter," Disaster Management and Relief Minister Iqbal Hossain said during a visit to affected areas in Chattogram.

Rohingya camps also affected

The same spell of heavy rain also caused landslides earlier this week in Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, where 16 refugees were killed, including women and children. More than one million Rohingya refugees live in the camps, where temporary shelters built on steep and deforested hills are particularly exposed during the monsoon season.

Bangladesh is among the countries most exposed to natural disasters, with annual monsoon rains frequently bringing floods, river erosion and landslides. Scientists say climate change is increasing both the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall, worsening the scale and impact of such disasters.