DHAKA: Torrential rains have unleashed severe flooding across large areas of low-lying Bangladesh, disaster officials said Thursday, compounding the challenges for the newly formed government after weeks of political turmoil and violent protests across the country. The disaster was exacerbated after India deliberately released water from upstream dams to worsen the flooding.
The floods have affected at least eight districts in the southern and eastern parts of the country, with reports saying that at least five people have died and hundreds of thousands are stranded.
Mohammad Nazmul Abedin, a senior official from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, said that around 2.9 million people have been impacted by the deluge. More than 70,000 persons have been relocated to shelters as floodwaters inundate homes, roads, and fields.
The flooding has come at a time of significant political transition in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina, the long-time prime minister, resigned earlier this month and fled to India following weeks of deadly student-led protests that marked the end of her 15-year rule.
Bangladesh, a nation of 170 million people, is highly vulnerable to flooding due to its geographical location in the delta region of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. The country has experienced frequent flooding in recent decades, exacerbated by climate change and shifting weather patterns.
According to the Global Climate Risk Index, Bangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate-related disasters.
The ongoing floods have caused widespread destruction, with significant impacts reported in Cox’s Bazar, where three of the flood-related deaths occurred. The army and navy have been mobilized, deploying speedboats and helicopters to rescue stranded people and provide aid to affected communities.
The situation has been further complicated by tensions with neighboring India. Asif Mahmud, a key leader of the student protests and now the interim sports minister, has claimed that India had deliberately released water from upstream dams to exacerbate the flooding.
India’s foreign ministry denied these allegations, attributing the high water flow to “the heaviest rains of the year” and automatic releases from reservoirs.
