Staff Reporter :
Continuous rain since Sunday midnight wreaked havoc across the country including capital Dhaka and its suburbs as water entered residential areas, submerged low-laying areas and flooded the streets on Monday.
Besides, a baby-girl identified as Naima Akhter, was killed in a landslide triggered by incessant rain in police lines area of Rangamati district. The landslide took place due to heavy rain.
Two bodies of fishermen were recovered from the Meghna River on Monday in Sunday’s fishing boat capsize. The dead were identified as M Enayetullah, 30, and Abu Taher, 35. The bodies were recovered from Damarchar and Burirchar areas at about 1pm yesterday.
Meanwhile, five more fishermen remained missing. Local sources said seven fishermen went missing as a fishing boat capsized in the Meghna River amid strong wind on Sunday night. Five fishermen — Harun, Rubel, Sufian, Zahir, and Alamgir– are still missing.
In Chittagong two lighter vessels, used mainly to transport goods from large ships, went down in seawater at the Port’s outer anchorage on Monday.
In capital Dhaka, many roads were submerged by water and the rain slowed down vehicular movement leading to heavy traffic on the roads.
The rain that started early Sunday submerged most city streets and low-lying areas, creating traffic chaos all around.
Massive water logging has also been created at low-laying lanes and by-lanes in the city.
The city commuters got stuck on most roads as a long tailback was created on them due to heavy traffic and tattered roads caused by incessant rain.
Many areas like Pallabi, Mirpur-10, Kazipara, Shewrapara, Shantinagar, Mouchak, Malibagh, Moghbazar, Jatrabari and many areas of old Dhaka went under water due to the downpour.
Under the influence of the land depression over Bhola and adjoining areas, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at places in Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions today (Tuesday).
“Due to very heavy rainfall, landslide may occur at places in the hilly regions of Chittagong and Sylhet divisions,” an official of Met Office said.
Vehicles were seen moving slowly on the streets and commuters got stuck in long tailback for hours together in different areas, including Kuril Bishwa Road, Maddhya Badda, Rampura, Mirpur, Rokeya Sharani, Airport Road and Tejgaon, Gulshan, Badda and Baridhara.
Besides, the road digging work during the rainy seasons also added salts into wounds of the city commuters as the North Dhaka City Corporation has started the digging work from Bashundhara Residential area to Rampura Bazar and from Agargaon to Mirpur-10 section.
Big potholes and cracks which developed in the roads in the last few months due to indiscriminate digging have made roads unfit for plying of all sorts of vehicles.
As a result, the traffic jam, an everyday trouble for city people took serious a turn for the worse due to incoordinated road digging by different utility service-providing agencies amid rains yesterday.
Commuters are facing unbearable miseries while travelling through roads connecting Moghbazar, Mouchak, Malibagh, Shantinagar, Eskaton, Dilu Road, Siddheshwari, Shatrasta and Rampura due to the construction work as the roads are riddled with huge potholes.
Apart from these, leaving the traffic in a complete mess inflicting immense sufferings to commuters, the rain also affected the Eid sales at shopping malls, fashion houses and hawkers markets in the city.
Many home-goers had to break their fast on the streets as they got stuck due to the incessant rain.
The turnout of customers marked a sharp fall at all most all shopping malls, fashion houses and hawkers markets as many city dwellers failed to come out of their respective residences to purchase clothes, cosmetics, shoes and other Eid items.
Many traders on Monday passed time leisurely as the customers failed to the come to the shopping malls or markets due to rain.
If the rain continues, many traders expressed concern over the sale of their Eid items as they feared they would lose the peak season this year.
“Rain has a negative impact on today’s (Monday) sales,” said a shop owner at Amir Complex in city’s Uttara.
Besides, hawkers along with their bundles of cloths and other Eid items were seen rushing to cover their Eid items due to rain.
“It is very difficult to attract customers under the open sky when it rains,” Sarfuddin Mia said.
In port city Chittagong, the torrential rain caused immense sufferings to residents, as many low-lying areas went under knee- to waist-deep water.
Commuters had difficulty finding transport to their destinations, as vehicles remained stranded on roads for hours. Many waded through waterlogged roads or took rickshaw-vans to travel.
Poor drainage and waste management systems added to the sufferings of the city dwellers, with many blaming the city corporation for its failure to address water-logging.
Under the influence of the land depression, deep convection is continuing and steep pressure gradient lies over North Bay. Gusty/squally weather may affect the maritime Ports, North Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh.
Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary Signal No. three. All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay have been advised to remain in shelter till further notice.
