Millions in this country are stranded by flooding. Many blame their neighbor

‘I have lost everything’: Bangladesh floods strand 1.24 million families

The next day, it took 40 minutes travelling by minibus in the downpour to reach his village.

“I rushed back to my home the next morning amidst torrential rain. By the time I arrived, knee-deep water had already entered and soaked everything,” the 29-year-old recounted. “I urged my extended family to come with me to Mirsarai.”

His parents and one uncle returned to Mirsarai with him.

But as the heavy rain continued and reports emerged of floodwaters submerging single-storey homes in his village in Chhagalnaiya Upazila, a district subunit, Haque decided to undertake rescue missions starting on Friday morning to help other family members and residents of the village who were stranded.

“I contacted a few friends from university and formed a team to help. However, I was shocked to discover that the road from Mirsarai to Chagalnaiya was entirely submerged under chest-high water, making it completely impassable on Friday,” he said.

Delivering relief supplies

Haque and his friends initially tried to construct a makeshift raft from felled banana trees, but it failed to float due to the currents.

They eventually managed to hire a small boat at three times the usual cost. “The current was very strong, and it took the boatman three hours to navigate us through. When we arrived, nearly all the houses were completely underwater

Wading through muddy floodwaters up to chest height, hundreds of people slowly make their way to safety, their belongings held high above their heads to keep them dry.

Entering the city of Feni in southeast Bangladesh, it becomes clear why it is described as the epicenter of one of the country’s worst floods in living memory. Since Wednesday night, water has inundated 11 districts, and large swathes of the city of nearly 1.5 million people are now submerged.

Bangladesh lives on its rivers and waterways — its people relying on the vital life source for fishing and farming rice paddies. The country is also well-acquainted with flooding and cyclones — especially in recent years, as scientists say human-caused climate change exacerbates extreme weather events.

But this flood took them by surprise – and people here blame officials in India.