National
Heavy Rainfall and Cyclone Remal Wreak Havoc on Dhaka
The capital city and surrounding areas are bracing for heavy rainfall, with at least 200 millimeters expected today, according to Meteorologist Mostofa Kamal Palash, a PhD researcher on meteorology and climate at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
“Dhaka recorded approximately 157 mm of rain on 27 May and is likely to see even more on 28 May, potentially exceeding 200 mm. The rainfall is likely to continue through 29 May,” Palash told The Business Standard. He added that American and European weather models indicate the heaviest rainfall between 12 pm and 2 pm on 28 May.
Climatologist Rashed Chowdhury highlighted a significant change in Cyclone Remal’s behavior, noting its unusually slow movement over Bangladesh. “This is probably the first time we are witnessing such a slow-moving cyclone in Bangladesh. It is expected to take around 40 hours to pass over the country. This slow movement introduces a new element to the nature of cyclones in Bangladesh—slow-paced cyclones accompanied by persistent heavy rains,” he said.
The heavy rains and squally winds, with speeds reaching up to 100 mph, have severely disrupted the country’s electricity system. The power distribution network has been significantly affected by Cyclone Remal. Electricity supply was suspended in many areas to prevent further damage, while in other regions, power outages were caused by fallen trees.
Most rural electricity board customers in districts such as Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Bhola, Patuakhali, and Barishal are currently without power. Areas like Feni and Cox’s Bazar have only partial electricity supply. Residents in these areas have been without power for periods ranging from 10 to 36 hours, depending on the area.
Cyclone Remal has left more than half of the country’s electricity consumers without power. Power generation has decreased to 3,751 MW due to reduced demand. Electricity distribution companies have incurred an estimated financial loss of Tk98 crore due to the cyclone. Since Sunday (26 May), electricity supply to over 2.69 crore people in 65 out of 80 rural electricity board areas (Palli Bidyut Samiti – PBS) has been disrupted. By last evening (27 May), some 3.21 lakh out of 4.70 lakh total connections had been restored. However, approximately 2.66 crore people remain without power.
In the 30 cyclone-prone PBS areas, 2,717 electric poles, 2,353 transformers, 53,425 power meters, and 71,729 spans (wires) have reportedly been damaged.
Leaders of the quota reform movement have resolutely refused to negotiate with the government, insisting that their movement will persist until their demands are met.
In a Facebook post, Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement, declared, “No discussion through stepping onto blood.”
Asif Mahmud, another prominent leader, echoed this sentiment, stating, “There can be no dialogue with bullets. I would prefer death over this betrayal.”
He further elaborated, “On one side, there are bullets. On the other, there is a call for dialogue. We can’t sit for dialogue while stepping onto the blood of our brothers.”
Earlier, leaders of the quota reform movement accused the government of escalating the law and order situation towards violence, asserting that their movement was peaceful until the government’s intervention.
Vowing to continue their struggle, Asif Mahmud stated, “We will continue our protests till we achieve our demands for reformation of the quota system, reopening of the halls and campuses, making university campuses terror-free, withdrawing political forces from the campuses, and punishing the killers and attackers.”
He added, “The people of the country have encircled those who tried to corner us. No conspiracy will be able to derail our movement.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged both local and international investors to invest in the extraction of marine resources from Bangladesh’s extensive sea areas.
“In order to fortify the blue economy through the diverse utilization of our marine resources, I call upon local and foreign investors to seize the opportunity to invest in Bangladesh. This will enable us to harness more of our marine resources,” she announced.
The Prime Minister made these remarks during the inauguration of the Bangladesh International Aquaculture and Seafood Show-2024 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
She emphasized the importance of adhering to proper standards in the collection, distribution, and processing of fish to boost exports, aiming to make fish the country’s second-largest source of foreign currency.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that her government has made limited progress in harvesting fish and other sea resources from the deep sea due to a lack of interest from local investors.
“Therefore, we need foreign investment to advance in this area. This is the reality we must face,” she noted.
She also suggested that both local and foreign investors can collaborate in joint ventures or invest separately in this sector to achieve better results.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate and moderately heavy rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
In its weather bulletin issued this morning, the BMD stated, “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers with temporary gusty wind is expected in a few places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Additionally, one or two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions may experience similar conditions, with moderately heavy falls anticipated at several locations in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.”
The bulletin also highlighted that the current mild heat wave sweeping across the Rangpur division and the districts of Tangail, Chuadanga, Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra, and Netrokona may persist.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise slightly, while nighttime temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged throughout the country.
On Wednesday, the highest recorded temperature was 36.7 degrees Celsius, observed in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Rajarhat. The lowest temperature recorded today was 26.0 degrees Celsius, noted in Bandarban and Teknaf.
Over the last 24 hours, rainfall amounted to 16 mm in Bandarban.
For the capital, the sun will set at 6:48 pm today and rise at 5:21 am tomorrow.
