At least 51 people have died and more than one million people have been affected after days of torrential monsoon rains triggered widespread flooding and landslides across Bangladesh, according to BBC.
The flooding has inundated large areas of the country, including the capital Dhaka, where submerged roads and waterlogged neighborhoods have disrupted transportation and daily life. Authorities have issued flood and landslide warnings, evacuated residents from high-risk areas, and postponed school examinations as the crisis continues to unfold.
According to the BBC, Cox's Bazar has recorded the highest number of fatalities, with 28 deaths reported. The southeastern district is also home to more than one million Muslim refugees, the world's largest refugee settlement. Last week, floodwaters swept through a school in the district, killing several students and a teacher.
Bangladesh, a low-lying delta nation intersected by hundreds of rivers, experiences severe flooding during its annual monsoon season. However, climate scientists have warned that climate change is intensifying extreme rainfall, increasing both the frequency and severity of flood events.
Government authorities said more than one million people have been affected by the disaster, while thousands of displaced residents have sought refuge in emergency shelters.
In Dhaka, floodwaters reached knee level in some neighborhoods, significantly slowing traffic and disrupting public life, BBC Bangla reported. The flooding has also renewed scrutiny of the capital's urban drainage system, with local media questioning the effectiveness of previous government flood-mitigation projects.
Sarder Udoy Raihan, an official at Bangladesh's Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, told AFP that flood conditions in the country's southeastern region are expected to improve in the coming days. However, he cautioned that continued monsoon rainfall across northeastern and northern Bangladesh could trigger additional flooding.
The latest disaster underscores Bangladesh's growing vulnerability to climate-related extreme weather events, with recurring floods posing increasing humanitarian, economic, and infrastructure challenges across the country.
Source: BBC, with additional reporting from AFP.
Photo: The Daily Star
