The rain-triggered flooding wreaked havoc in different districts of Mymensingh division on Saturday, killing at least three people, leaving thousands of families marooned and destroying crops of a vast tract of land.
Last few days of heavy rains coupled with onrush of upstream water from the hilly regions have worsened the flood situation in Sherpur, Mymensingh, Netrokona, Jamalpur and Kishoreganj districts, causing immense sufferings for the people.
Low-lying areas in all the districts under Mymensingh division have been submerged by floodwater. Road communications in different parts of the districts have been disrupted due to the flooding, according to reports from local correspondents.
The Kangsha, Someshwari, Jinjiram, and Old Brahmaputra rivers were flowing above the danger mark. The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre of the Water Development Board (PUBO) issued an alert on Saturday.
Sardar Uday Raihan, executive engineer of PUBO, said although the water level of the Bhogai River has decreased, it still remains above the danger mark at Nakuagaon in Sherpur. The Jinjiram River in Jamalpur was flowing above the danger level at Goalkanda point.
Sajal Kumar Roy, Sub-Divisional Engineer at the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center, told a press briefing at BWDB building in Dhaka that heavy rain and onrush of upstream water from hilly regions caused the flooding.
“At least 113 villages in Nalitabari, Srivardi, and Jhenaigati upazilas under Sherpur and 50 villages in Dhobaura of Mymenshingh have been submerged by floodwater. Thousands of families have been stranded, crops have been destroyed and fish ponds washed away,” he added.
Sherpur has been affected most by the flooding as three people died and 60,000 people have been marooned by floodwater. Upstream water from India’s Meghalaya state has inundated low-lying areas in different upazilas of the district.
Nalitabari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), Masud Rana, confirmed the death of three people.
Rescue operations are in full swing in the flood-hit areas. Army, local volunteers and fire service personnel are working to evacuate those stranded people. More than 1,000 families have been taken to safer areas. Local schools being used as temporary shelters.
Firefighters and volunteers from Rapid Response BD (RRBD) rescued a three-month-old baby trapped in Dighirpar village, Jhinaigati.
Crops, livestock, and homes have been devastated in the submerged areas. Many roads have been flooded or damaged, compounding the sufferings of local people.
Emergency response teams have been deployed to control rooms set up across affected areas to coordinate relief efforts. Schools like Garkanda Government Primary School and Taraganj Women’s Madrasa have been converted into shelters to house the displaced.
With more than 100 villages across Nalitabari, Jhinaigati, and Sreebardi upazilas submerged, the local administration has opened a shelter at Jhenaigati Model Pilot Government High School.
Adequate supplies of dry food and mineral water have been allocated for the affected families, and speedboats are in operation to rescue those trapped by the floodwater.
As heavy rains and upstream hill torrents continue to pour in, residents fear even more destruction. Several embankments in Nalitabari, Barmari, and Batkuchi have collapsed, submerging roads and isolating entire communities.
In Batkuchi alone, 20,000 people have been stranded. Many locals said this the worst flooding they have seen in over 20 years.
