National
Continuous Heavy Rainfall Worsens Sylhet Floods, Strands Nearly 4 Lakh People
Continuous heavy rainfall over the past two days has severely worsened the flood situation in Sylhet, marking the second such instance in just 20 days. Nearly four lakh people in the Sylhet metropolitan area and throughout the district are now stranded.
In the metropolitan area alone, 10,000 people across 15 wards have been affected by flooding, according to Sylhet district administration sources on Tuesday afternoon.
Sylhet experienced the first phase of flooding on May 27, impacting approximately seven lakh people across all upazilas. The water had not fully receded when heavy rainfall and hill torrents struck again on June 15, worsening the situation by Eid day (June 17).
Heavy rainfall on Eid-ul-Azha morning briefly subsided, but resumed from Tuesday dawn, causing significant overflows in all rivers and streams in Sylhet. On Eid day, water levels were above danger points at two river locations. By Tuesday morning, water levels at four rivers were above danger points at six locations.
The Water Development Board in Sylhet reported that by last evening, the Surma River at Kanaighat point was 133 cm above danger levels. At another point in Sylhet, it was 27 cm above. The Kushiyara River was 47 cm above danger levels at Amalshid and 88 cm above at Fenchuganj. Additionally, the Sari River at Sarighat was 33 cm above danger levels.
By Tuesday, 864 villages and localities in Sylhet were inundated, affecting 371,507 people. Within the metropolitan area, 10,000 people remain stranded. To address the crisis, 619 shelters have been opened, including 80 in the metropolitan area.
Low-lying areas of the city are particularly hard-hit, with Shahjalal suburb completely submerged and water reaching neck level in many homes. Other severely affected areas include Jatrapur, Mendibagh, Shibganj, Raingar, Sobhanighat, Kalighat, Kamalgarh, Machimpur, Taltala, Jamtola, Kajirbazar, Madina Market, Akhaliya, and Mezortil. Several important roads within the city are also flooded.
From 6 am Monday to 6 am Tuesday, the Sylhet Meteorological Office recorded 153 mm of rainfall and forecasted continuous heavy rainfall for the next three days.
The district administration is actively working to rescue stranded individuals and has set up control rooms at the district collector’s office and upazila executive offices to monitor the flood situation. Dedicated officers have been appointed in each upazila, and medical teams have been formed at union levels to provide health services to flood victims.
If the heavy rainfall persists, the flood situation in Sylhet is expected to deteriorate further.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty winds at most places across the Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Some areas may experience moderately heavy to very heavy rainfall, according to their latest weather bulletin released on Thursday.
Day and night temperatures are expected to remain nearly unchanged across the country.
The highest rainfall in the country over the past 24 hours was recorded in Kumarkhali, with 104mm of rain by 6 a.m. on Thursday.
The axis of the monsoon trough extends from India’s Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal to Assam, passing through Bangladesh, with one of its associated troughs stretching into the North Bay of Bengal.
The monsoon remains active over Bangladesh and moderate to strong over the North Bay region.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted that the mild heat wave currently affecting parts of the country, including the capital, is expected to subside in most areas within the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
“A mild heat wave is sweeping across the divisions of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, and Sylhet, as well as the districts of Jashore, Chuadanga, and Kushtia. It is likely to ease in most regions,” the department reported.
In addition, BMD predicted light to moderate rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across most of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Some areas are expected to experience moderate to very heavy rainfall.
Temperatures across the country may drop by 1-2 degrees Celsius during both day and night.
On Monday, Dinajpur in the Rangpur division recorded the country’s highest temperature at 38.6°C, while Bandarban in the Chattogram division saw the lowest temperature at 24.6°C early today.
Meanwhile, rainfall recorded in the past 24 hours, ending at 6 am today, reached 66 mm in Nikli of Dhaka Division.
The sunset in Dhaka is at 5:53 pm today, and sunrise is expected at 5:49 am tomorrow.
Two separate murder cases were filed today in connection with the deaths of a private service holder and a Madrasa student during the anti-discrimination student movement.
The first case was lodged by Ridwan Ahmed with Panchlaish police station, accusing former ministers Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel, and 127 others for the death of his nephew Sujan, 14. Sujan, the son of Belal Hossain from Beramara village in Noakhali’s Sadar Thana, was a student at Al Jamirul Hayat Madrasa in the city’s Chandgaon area. He was fatally shot in the Muradpur area on July 18.
The second case was filed by Jamal Uddin at Doublemooring police station, accusing 225 individuals, including Dr. Hasan Mahmud and Education Minister Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel, for the killing of his elder brother Alam, a private service holder, on August 5.
