Depression in Bay triggers coastal flooding, kills 3

Banglapress Published: 23 September 2025, 10:25 AM

Depression in Bay triggers coastal flooding, kills 3

Bangla Press Desk: A deep depression over the Northwest Bay of Bengal triggered heavy rain and tidal surges, submerging large parts of coastal Bangladesh and claiming at least three lives by Friday evening. Thousands were left stranded, river transport across the country was suspended, and power and telecom services were disrupted. The weather system intensified into a deep depression before weakening into a land depression as it moved northwards. Continuous rain since Thursday morning inundated vast low-lying areas across Patuakhali, Barguna, Noakhali, Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar, cutting off road links in many places.

Deaths in Cox’s Bazar and Dhaka In Maheshkhali, Cox’s Bazar, 40-year-old Danu Mia drowned in a tidal surge Thursday afternoon while returning from Ghatibhanga Bazar in Kutubjom union. Locals rescued him, but he was pronounced dead at Maheshkhali Upazila Health Complex. In Dhaka, two people—tailor Al Amin, 35, and rickshaw puller Md Ainal, 30—died after being electrocuted by exposed power lines in waterlogged areas on Thursday night. Both were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where they were declared dead. Telecom outages and power cuts

Over 5,000 mobile towers were shut down due to power disruptions across the country. “Severe rains affected telecom sites and over 5,000 sites are down due to power outages,” posted Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to the chief adviser for telecommunications, on Facebook. Barishal, Sylhet-South, Tangail, Chandpur, Mymensingh, Dhaka North, Cumilla, Noakhali and Chattogram-South regions were the worst hit. Flood threat widespread Heavy rains raised water levels in 50 of 67 monitored rivers, according to Sardar Uday Raihan, executive engineer of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre. Of 116 observation points, 89 showed rising water levels. Short-term flooding is likely in six districts.

In the Chattogram division, rivers such as Gomti, Feni, Halda and Matamuhuri may continue to rise, with the Matamuhuri expected to reach warning levels and the Muhuri likely to cross danger levels. Flooding risk persists in Feni district. In Sylhet and Mymensingh, rivers like Sarigowain, Jadukata, Manu and Khowai could surpass danger levels in the coming days, threatening low-lying areas in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj and Netrakona. Teesta in Rangpur division is also rising. Nine coastal upazilas affected At least nine coastal upazilas in Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar districts were severely affected. Heavy tidal surges damaged embankments and homes, disrupted port and airport operations and caused widespread power outages. Eight people went missing after a salt-laden trawler sank in rough seas off Kutubdia on Thursday night. Rescue efforts were hampered by inclement weather.

Chattogram recorded 223mm of rainfall in 24 hours till 3pm Friday—50mm above the seasonal average. Despite the downpour, the city remained free of waterlogging, a rare occurrence attributed to ongoing waterlogging mitigation efforts. Ports, airports disrupted Heavy rains and winds disrupted cargo handling at Chattogram Port’s jetties and outer anchorage, although internal operations continued. A Biman Bangladesh flight bound for Dubai was diverted to Dhaka after it failed to land at Chattogram airport. Four vessels ran aground due to rough seas at Patenga and Parki beach. Fishermen settlements at Akmal Ali Ghat and Rasmoni Ghat were flooded. Embankment breaches in coastal areas In Banshkhali’s Khankhanaabad union, seawater breached an embankment, flooding villages. In Anwara’s Juidandi union, tidal water overflowed cracked embankments at Majhir Ghat and Napit Khal. “Strong currents broke through embankments, inundating farmland and fish enclosures,” said local UP member Md Nurunnabi. In Satkania, tidal waters from the River Shankha submerged agricultural lands. A Tk150 million embankment project is underway along erosion-prone areas of the river, said Water Development Board Executive Engineer Shawkat Ibn Shahid. Uprooted trees damaged power lines, cutting electricity to Banshkhali, Anwara, Satkania and Patiya. Chattogram Palli Bidyut Samiti’s Dilip Chandra Chowdhury said power will be restored once conditions improve. Relief and rescue Relief materials, including 618 tonnes of rice and Tk11.5 lakh, were allocated, said Chattogram District Relief Officer Md Saifulla Mazumder. Communication with Sandwip was disrupted, affecting 40 students scheduled for the 2024–25 National University admission test. Cox’s Bazar hit hard In Maheshkhali and Kutubdia, tidal surges breached embankments, flooding over 100 homes and farmland. Maritime transport to Saint Martin’s Island was suspended. Eight crew members of a trawler remain missing after it capsized in stormy seas. Chattogram city escapes waterlogging In a rare positive development, Chattogram city avoided waterlogging despite heavy rain. Residents credited the improvement to canal excavation and coordinated efforts under a waterlogging mitigation project. Lieutenant Colonel Ferdous Ahmed, the project director, said, “We have re-excavated canals repeatedly, and expansion is progressing well.” A dedicated Waterlogging Monitoring Cell at Rajakhali Army Camp now tracks risks in real time. “Our goal is simple—to ensure no resident suffers from waterlogging again,” he said. Source: DS [Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.] BP/ZE

[Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.]