Monsoon floods in Bangladesh kill 44, strand over a million people

Floods and landslides triggered by days of torrential monsoon rain killed at least 44 people and stranded more than a million across southeastern Bangladesh, with seven districts cut off by water, damaged roads and broken communication links. The disaster spread through Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Moulvibazar and Habiganj, leaving 267,918 households stranded.

Rescue and relief crews struggled to reach isolated neighborhoods as army and navy personnel ferried food, water, medicine and other supplies by boat to communities cut off by washed-out roads and broken bridges. Disaster Management and Relief Minister Iqbal Hossain said the government was distributing relief, safe drinking water and medical supplies, and urged residents whose homes were inundated to move to the nearest shelter. He also called the flood situation in Chattogram “terribly bad” and said officials were preparing a victims’ list and a rehabilitation plan based on the extent of losses.

Nurul Islam said, “There is still water inside our home and we have no way to cook,” as nights without electricity and dwindling food supplies forced residents onto dry rations such as flattened rice, puffed rice and biscuits.

Heavy rain also triggered landslides in Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar earlier in the week, killing 16 refugees, including women and children. More than 1 million Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar live in terrain highly exposed to monsoon floods and landslides, where steep slopes and crowded shelters magnify the risk every rainy season.