Experts forecast that northeastern, northern parts of Bangladesh may witness prolonged flood as record breaking rainfalls were recorded inside Bangladesh and upstream states of India during the ongoing flood.
“We have seen both Bangladesh and upstream states of Meghalaya and Assam and western Himalayan regions of India recorded heavy rainfall, the highest over 100 years,” Professor Md Mansur Rahman of Institute of Water and Flood Management of BUET told the media on Tuesday.
Major rivers and their tributaries of Bangladesh have no capacity to contain such huge volume of rains, which ultimately is causing massive flooding in northeastern, northern regions of the country, he added.
Mansur said there is a huge gap between Bangladesh and upstream regions of India in terms of elevation from sea level. “So, onrush of water enters Bangladesh with a faster pace, which causes flooding,” he added.
The hydrologist said a large number of embankments have been built in both Bangladesh and Indian regions to control flow of water of major rivers, which are the main reasons for increasing frequency of flooding.
The ongoing flood in Meghna basin may prolong as “only exit point of flood water is Bhairab at the Megna river will take much time to pass such huge volume of flood water into the Bay of Bangal... meaning flood in northeastern region is likely to be prolonged, if the heavy downpour continue.”
Bangladesh Poribesh Andolan (BAPA) on Tuesday organized a press conference titled “Humanitarian crisis in Sylhet due to flash flood: causes and doings” at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) auditorium in the city.
While addressing the press conference, president of BAPA Dr Nazrul Islam said as Bangladesh is a deltaic region, development planning should be taken considering the characteristics of nature.
The BAPA attributed constructing embankments and roads on rivers are the main reasons behind the sudden floods in Sylhet.
Dr Md Khaliquzzaman, member of central executive committee of BAPA, said a total of 4,081 mm rainfalls were recorded at Cherrapunji of Meghalaya in June till now simultaneously Sunamganj witnessed record rains.
“Despite flood situation is likely to improve in the Sylhet, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj and Netrokona districts, it will take time for receding flood water.... meaning flood in northeastern, northern parts of Bangladesh might linger,” a Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) spokesman Md Arifuzzaman Bhuyan told the media.
“Water now continued to surpass much above the danger lines in two of the country’s four major river basins . . . the situation is worst since the 2004 flooding,” he added.
Bhuiyan, an FFWC executive engineer, said “heavy downpours worsened the flood situation which is gradually deteriorating in northern and north-eastern parts of Bangladesh”.
He said the trend was worsening as the forecasts suggested the heavy rainfall to continue for the next couple of days both in the upstream Meghalaya Assam and western Himalayan regions of India alongside Bangladesh.
Monsoon rains and gushing waters from upstream India overnight worsened Bangladesh flood situation with experts calling it the worst since 2004 while officials estimated the flooding to have marooned at least 6 million people.
Officials and reports suggest nearly six million people were marooned at their nearly inundated homes or were forced to take makeshift refuge elsewhere as water level in rivers in northeastern and northern regions continued to rise.
Many people were forced to initially take refuge on their rooftops amid gushing rising waters until rescue boats arrived at many places in Sunamganj.
All the major rivers of the country are in rising trend, according to FFWC bulletin issued here on Tuesday.
In the next 24 hours, the water level of Teesta may flow close to its danger level.
In this period, the flood situation in Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari & Rangpur may remain steady while In the next 24 hours, the flood situation in Kurigram, Gaibandha & Jamalpur may remain steady while in Bogra, Sirajganj and Tangail may deteriorate slightly.
There is chance of flood in the low lying area of Faridpur, Shariatpur & Rajbari districts in next 24 hours, the centre added.
Water levels at 68 river stations monitored by Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) have marked rise while 34 stations recorded fall.
Among the 109 monitored stations, five river stations have been registered steady while water levels at 18 stations are flowing above the danger level, a bulletin issued by the FFWC said here on Tuesday.
Flood situation worsened in five northern districts despite little reduction in the rate of onrushing water from upstream in the last 24 hours marooning over two lakh people so far in the Brahmaputra basin.
Officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said major rivers were flowing above danger marks at 10 points of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogura and Sirajganj districts at 9 am on Tuesday.
The government order to shut stores and shopping malls at 8pm everyday to save power and fuel amid rising global energy prices is going into effect from Monday.
The authorities fixed the date and sorted out other details in a meeting hosted by the labour and employment ministry on Sunday. Representatives of businesses were also present.
Monnujan Sufian, state minister for labour and employment, said the ministry took steps to implement the Labour Act, which stipulates that all shops must be closed by 8pm, on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s instructions.
She said the business leaders, including the Association of Shop Owners and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, accepted the decision.
Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu, senior vice-president of FBCCI, said the owners wanted to keep the shops selling readymade garments open until 10pm before Eid-ul-Azha. Now they want the government to let them sell garments until 10pm from Jul 1. “This proposal will be forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Office.”
Section 114 of the Labour Act states no shop shall on any day remain open after 8pm. Provided that any customer who was being or was waiting in the shop to be served at such hour, may be served during the period of thirty minutes immediately following such hour.
The government may, on consideration of special circumstances, alter, by notifications in the official gazette, the closing hours of shops in any area in any season on such conditions as may be imposed.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to-
(a) docks, wharves or stations and terminal offices or transport services including airports;
(b) shops dealing mainly in any vegetables, meat, fish, dairy products, bread, pastries, sweetmeats and flowers;
(c) shops dealing mainly in medicines, surgical appliances, bandages or other medical requisites;
(d) shops dealing in articles required for funerals, burials or cremation;
(e) shops dealing mainly in tobacco, cigars, cigarettes, bidis, pan, liquid refreshments, newspapers or periodicals sold retail for consumption in the premises, ice;
(f) petrol pumps for the retail sale of the petrol and automobile service stations not being repair workshops;
(g) the barbers and hairdressers ;
(h) any system of public conservancy or sanitation,
(i) any industry, business or undertaking which supplies power, light or water to the public;
(j) clubs, hotels, restaurants, catering houses cinemas or theatres. Provided that where several trades or business are carried on in the same shop or commercial establishment and, the majority of them, by their nature, are eligible to an exemption under this section, the exemption will apply to the entire shop or commercial establishment.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said Bangladesh engages with the world on its “own term” while Dhaka believes in partnerships with countries for mutual economic benefits.
“We are no longer price takers. We engage with the world on our own terms,” he said.
The foreign minister was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of a seminar titled “Changing Global Order: Securing Bangladesh’s National Interest” Organized by Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) at its auditorium in the capital.
Dr Momen said Bangladesh believes in inclusive and sustainable development and it continuously studies the international events and actors.
“When we are discussing the changing global order and securing Bangladesh’s interest, we can visualize a nearly infinite spectrum of scenarios and an equally innumerable set of factors which are constantly changing with each passing moment,” he said.
The foreign minister said Dhaka is ready to engage with everyone who wishes no harm and who would not wish to use Bangladesh’s resources for launching offensive agenda of their own.
“That’s how Bangladesh envisions and leverages its sovereign national interests,” he said.
Dr Momen said the strategic location, the rich demographic dividend and a strong domestic market, makes Bangladesh an important player on the chessboard and “our choices make us a pivot and a pole both”.
He said Bangladesh has the profound dictum of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the windshield, “Friendship to all, malice to none” while the country has the fluidity and the essence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in declaring the goal of resurrecting the ‘Sonar Bangla’ (the Golden Bangladesh) as sole targeting mechanism.
“But how and when (to achieve goal) remain elusive. Especially with the multiplicity, complicity and exclusivity of certain strategic dimensions which affect our simpler goal of becoming a developed nation by 2041,” he said.
The 14th anniversary of Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s release from prison was observed on Saturday.
On this day in 2008, Sheikh Hasina was released from the special sub-jail set up on the premises of the Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) Building after remaining captive there for nearly 11 months.
The Awami League president was arrested from her Sudha Sadan residence at Dhanmondi on July 16, 2007 during the military-backed caretaker government, which assumed power in the political changeover of 1/11 in 2007.
As Sheikh Hasina fell sick during her captivity, demands were raised then from different quarters including the Awami League and its associate bodies to send her abroad for better medical treatment after releasing her from jail.
Conceding to the people’s spontaneous and repeated demands and pressure from different quarters, the caretaker government was compelled to release Sheikh Hasina from jail.
In the national election of December 29 in 2008, the Awami League-led grand alliance registered a landslide victory with a two-thirds majority in the Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina became the Prime Minister for the second term.
On the occasion of the day, special prayers, milad-mahfil, discussion and food distribution among the distressed people were arranged wishing long life and good health to the premier.
Marking the day, the leaders of Awami League and its associate bodies greeted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by presenting her with bouquets.
Senior AL leaders led by the party’s general secretary Obaidul Quader first greeted Sheikh Hasina by handing over a bouquet to her followed by the leaders of associate organisations of the party.
Senior officials of the Prime Minister’s Office also greeted the premier by handing over a bouquet.
Later, leaders of Dhaka North City AL, Dhaka South City AL, Awami Jubo League, Chhatra League, Sechchhasebak League, Jatiya Sramik League, Krishak League, Mohila Awami League, Jubo Mohila League and Bangabandhu Awami Ainjibi Parishad greeted the prime minister by presenting her with bouquets separately.
A milad and prayer mahfil was held at the party’s central office at 23 Bangabandhu Avenue here in the afternoon on the initiative of Awami League.
It was attended, among others, by the party’s general secretary Obaidul Quader, presidium members Kazi Zafarullah, Dr Abdur Razzaque, Shahjahan Khan, Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Joint General Secretaries Mahabub-ul-Alam Hanif and Dr Dipu Moni, Organizing Secretaries Ahmed Hossain and SM Kamal Hossain, Publicity and Publication Secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, Industries and Commerce Secretary Siddiqur Rahman, Liberation War Affairs Secretary Mrinal Kanti Das, Labor and Manpower Affairs Secretary Habibur Rahman Siraj, Relief and Social Welfare Secretary Sujit Roy Nandi, Office Secretary Barrister Biplob Barua and Deputy Office Secretary Sayem Khan.
Meanwhile, the Dhaka South City unit of Awami League organized a milad and doa-mahfil at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque here after Asr prayers on the occasion.
Dhaka South City unit of Awami League President Abu Ahmed Mannafi, Vice-presidents Sharfuddin Ahmed Sentu and Hedayetul Islam Swapan, Joint general secretaries Md Miraj Hossain and Mohiuddin Ahmed Mohi and Organizing Secretaries Md Akhter Hossain and Golam Sarwar Kabir attended it, among others.