Bangladesh floods: Death toll climbs to 59; more than 5.4 million people affected

Army personnel distribute relief materials to flood-affected people in Bangladesh on Wednesday. Pic/AFP

At least 59 people, including 12 children, have died in the Bangladesh floods, which have affected more than five million people across 11 districts in the neighbouring country, officials said on Saturday.

The Disaster Management and Relief Ministry said that the highest number of deaths have been reported in Cumilla and Feni districts (14 and 23 fatalities, respectively), which border Tripura in India's northeast.

Monsoon rainfall-triggered floods in deltaic Bangladesh and upstream Indian regions have caused widespread havoc in the past two weeks, resulting in significant loss of life, displacement of people and livestock, and extensive property damage. This crisis poses a major challenge to the newly installed interim government in Bangladesh, which is navigating a political transition.

The country intersected by more than 200 rivers - 54 of which are trans-boundary with India - has experienced severe flooding owing to a depression in the Bay of Bengal last week, news agency PTI reported. This weather system has caused rivers in the northeastern Meghna Basin and southwestern Chattogram Hills Basin to overflow, leading to widespread flooding.

The state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), quoting the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry officials, stated, "As many as 5,457,702 people have been affected by the floods in 504 unions and municipalities across the 11 districts. Around 0.7 million families remain stranded by the floodwaters, while nearly 0.4 million people are taking refuge in 3,928 shelter centres."

The report also mentioned that a total of 36,139 cattle have been provided shelter at these centres. As the situation gradually improves, people are beginning to return home, and communication systems are being restored in the flood-affected districts.

Weather experts have attributed the widespread flooding not only to the torrential rains and overflowing rivers but also to the effects of El Niño and climate change.

Earlier last week, the Flood Warning and Forecasting Centre (FFWC) faced criticism for failing to predict the severity of the situation, with officials attributing the issue to a lack of information from counterparts in the upstream Indian region.

Floods after political turmoil in Bangladesh

The situation was further complicated by the absence or unavailability of local government representatives, many of whom went into hiding due to their political affiliations after the ousting of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League regime in a student-led uprising earlier this month. This made relief coordination challenging, according to local media reports.

The floods struck as the interim government's Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus, was overhauling the bureaucracy, replacing key officials.

Since Yunus, 84, took office on 8th August - three days after Sheikh Hasina, 76, stepped down and fled to India amidst mass protests and violence - the new government has dismissed over 1,800 elected local government representatives across the country.

(With PTI inputs)