Untimely heavy rains have disrupted life in more than half of the country. After Rangpur and Rajshahi in the northern region, heavy rains occurred in Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions on Friday. From the sinking of roads in the city to the submergence of bazaars and houses in rural areas, public life has come to a standstill. An average of 160 millimeters of rain falls across the country in the whole month of October.
And till six o’clock in the evening yesterday, three times the rain fell in Nikoli of Kishoreganj in 24 hours, which is the highest rainfall in a single day in the history of the country. And most of the districts of Mymensingh division have received more than 300 mm of rain.
Most of the parts of Dhaka division including the capital city are drenched in heavy rain. It is a weekend, and the heavy rains on Thursday meant that the residents of the capital did not go out except for urgent work. Since morning, the sky has been darkened by clouds, bringing the city to a standstill. However, due to moderate rain, water has accumulated on the road from Old Dhaka to New Market, Mirpur Road and Kazipara in at least 11 areas throughout the day. Unbearable traffic jams are created on various roads of Dhaka due to heavy rain and construction work. Citizens have to suffer more.
Amidst heavy rainfall in the middle of the night on Thursday, many areas in the capital and several districts of the Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions faced power outages. The combination of heavy rain and darkness created a distressing situation. Many couldn’t sleep throughout the night, as the intense rainfall brought anxiety and fear to these areas.
Reports of intermittent heavy rainfall in various parts of the capital continued until 11 PM yesterday. However, the meteorological department has provided some relief by stating that today, Saturday, the amount of rainfall across the country might decrease. Nevertheless, Sylhet, Mymensingh, and most parts of Dhaka are expected to experience more rain. Starting from tomorrow, Sunday, the rainfall is expected to reduce, and the weather may return to normal. The monsoon season is set to bid farewell in the coming week. There is no significant concern of intensifying rain in the days ahead, according to meteorologists.
On the other hand, record-breaking rainfall hit the districts of Mymensingh, Kishoreganj, Netrokona, and Habiganj after Rajshahi yesterday. In these cities, most of the areas remained submerged, causing a halt in daily life. Flooding was observed in many places, and people had to wade through water from ankle to waist height. Roads and rail lines were affected, and navigation was limited in these areas.
Heavy rainfall persisted in Habiganj until 4 AM yesterday, causing a power outage for approximately 16 hours in the city. Internet services were also disrupted in many places.
In Mymensingh city, continuous heavy rainfall was observed during the night. Rainfall started at 10 PM on Thursday and continued until 10 AM the next morning.
A staff member of a private development organization, Mojammel Haque, wrote on his Facebook wall, “I woke up from sleep to hear that my beloved Mymensingh is underwater for the last few days. Since my birth, I have never heard of floods in my city or village except in 1988. The Brahmmaputra River has significantly reduced its navigability, and the way rivers, canals, streams, and ponds are encroached upon, the days ahead will bring more dreadful situations.”
