Severe floods have devastated regions of Bangladesh and northeastern India, where heavy rainfall has caused rivers to overflow, leaving widespread destruction in its wake. More than 300,000 people in southeastern Bangladesh have been affected, with homes submerged and entire communities stranded, while in India, landslides and flooding have claimed the lives of at least eight people.
Rescue operations are underway as local authorities scramble to evacuate those trapped by the rising waters. In some areas, residents have taken shelter on rooftops, awaiting rescue by boat. In northeastern India, tens of thousands have sought refuge in relief camps as floodwaters continue to rise.
A Region Plagued by Monsoon Flooding
Bangladesh and India have been particularly vulnerable to flooding during the annual monsoon season, but this year’s devastation has been intensified by the climate crisis, experts say. Heavy rains have pummeled the region, with some areas experiencing up to 200 millimeters (about 8 inches) of rainfall over just a few days. The flooding has overwhelmed local infrastructure, leaving people stranded in their homes or forced to flee to temporary shelters.
In Bangladesh’s southeastern Feni district, one of the hardest-hit areas, rescue operations are in full swing. Army and navy personnel, alongside volunteers, are working to evacuate residents by boat, with government buildings and schools being converted into emergency shelters. Over 25,000 people are now housed in these shelters, but with floodwaters still rising, officials warn that it may be some time before they can return home.
“We don’t expect people to be able to return home anytime soon,” said Musammat Shahina Akter, a senior official in Feni. Although the rain is easing, water levels remain dangerously high and are unlikely to recede until the rains stop completely.
Families Stranded on Rooftops
In Feni, residents have been forced to seek refuge wherever they can, with many stranded on rooftops as the floodwaters rise. Kazi Piash, a 24-year-old resident, described how he and 40 others, including his pregnant sister-in-law, took shelter on the roof of their home after floodwaters rose to neck height. “We’ve constructed a makeshift tent on the roof with tarpaulin,” Piash told CNN. “We have been on the roof for hours, my body is shivering, our phones also won’t have a battery for long, so we need to get help quick.”
Footage from the region shows residents navigating the flooded streets by canoe, wading through waist-deep waters as they attempt to salvage what little they can carry.
Blame and Tension Across the Border
As floodwaters continue to surge, some residents of Bangladesh have voiced frustration with neighboring India, claiming that the opening of a dam across the border contributed to the floods. Several residents living near the Gomati River in the city of Cumilla fear their homes will be submerged within hours, with one local, Shorif Islam, blaming India for the disaster. “This flood came from India because India opened the dam,” he said.
However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has refuted these claims, stating that the flooding is the result of heavy rains and not the release of water from the dam. Tripura’s Power Minister, Ratan Lal Nath, confirmed that the dam was designed to release excess water automatically once it reaches a certain level, dismissing any allegations of deliberate flooding.
“We have seen concerns being expressed in Bangladesh that the current situation of flood… has been caused by opening of the Dumbur dam upstream,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. “This is factually not correct.”
Further Rainfall Expected
While some parts of the region are beginning to see a respite from the heavy rains, the threat of more wet weather looms. Forecasts predict an additional 50 mm to 150 mm (2 to 6 inches) of rainfall across Tripura and eastern Bangladesh over the next three days, raising concerns that the already swollen rivers may flood further.
As rescue operations continue, the full scale of the devastation is still unfolding. With more rain on the horizon, communities in both Bangladesh and India are bracing for what could be a prolonged and deadly monsoon season.
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