Online Report
The southeastern town of Feni is on high alert after being drenched by a record 440 millimeters of rainfall in just 24 hours, pushing the Muhuri River well above the danger level and triggering fears of flash floods in nearby low-lying areas.
The deluge, the heaviest recorded so far this monsoon season, has left large swathes of Feni town submerged under knee- to waist-deep water. Streets, shops, and homes have been inundated, disrupting daily life and inflicting fresh economic losses on residents still recovering from last year’s devastating floods.
According to Abul Kashem, sub-divisional engineer at the Feni Water Development Board, by late Monday afternoon the Muhuri River was flowing 65 centimeters above the danger mark. “Such an unusual rise increases the risk of flooding. We have already issued warnings about vulnerable embankments,” he said.
A survey of the town revealed widespread waterlogging in areas including Doctorpara, Shahid Shahidullah Kaiser Road, the old registry office, Shaheen Academy, Pathanbari, Nazir Road, Mizan Road, the sadar hospital intersection, and around Petrobangla. Shops and warehouses have reported goods damaged by water that poured in throughout the day.
Shopkeeper Abdur Rahman Farhan at the municipal hawkers market voiced frustration, saying, “Water has been entering our shop since morning, ruining our products. We are still trying to recover from last year’s losses. If the drainage had been cleared before the rains, this could have been avoided.”
Students too are bearing the brunt. Mehedi Hasan, who attends Abdul Haque Degree College in nearby Chhagalnaiya, worried about reaching his exam center. “Our honors final exam is this afternoon, but with roads underwater and rain still coming down, we don’t know how we’ll get there. It would really help if authorities postponed the test,” he said.
Feni municipal administrator Golam Md Baten acknowledged the crisis, attributing it to heavy rainfall compounded by an inadequate drainage system. “The water will start to recede once the rain stops. Meanwhile, seven municipal teams are working to manage the situation,” he said.
The concerns are backed by the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), which has predicted that the Muhuri River’s water level may continue to pose a threat over the next 24 hours due to intense rainfall triggered by a low-pressure system over the northwestern Bay of Bengal. The FFWC also reported rising water levels in other rivers across Chattogram Division, including the Feni, Halda, Sangu, and Matamuhuri, although they are expected to stabilize over the following two days.
Elsewhere, the Brahmaputra-Jamuna river system is also seeing a gradual rise, likely to persist for three more days before easing, while the Ganges and Padma rivers are forecast to continue their steady climb over the next five days — all remaining below danger marks for now. Coastal regions in Barisal, Khulna, and Chattogram divisions are experiencing higher-than-normal tides, causing localized waterlogging.
Memories are still fresh of the catastrophic flooding in August last year, when heavy rains and a sudden release of water from a dam in India’s Tripura state claimed more than 70 lives and affected 11 districts across northeastern and southeastern Bangladesh.