stand by

National

We must stand by flood-affected people

Bangladesh is a riverine country and a flat deltaic region shaped by rivers. Floods have become somewhat of a curse for Bangladesh. The rivers have lost their navigability, and water bodies, canals, and wetlands are filled to the brim. Everywhere, there are signs of commercial exploitation by land grabbers. On the other hand, the source of water for haors and low-lying areas comes from Assam and Meghalaya in India. During the monsoon in Ashar, the heavy rainfall in those regions results in a rush of water downhill. There is a long-standing history of politics surrounding the flood protection embankments in haor areas like Sylhet, Chittagong, and Netrokona. Negligence in the construction of these embankments is not new, and this time the neglect has reached a critical level. During the first flood, the boro crop fields were submerged, leaving farmers destitute. After everything was lost, people returned home, and no one gave the embankments further thought. In this crisis of foresight, villages and people are now submerged in floodwaters. There are severe shortages of food, drinking water, and medicine, yet water is everywhere. Reaching people through the rush of water has become a challenge. Alongside significant losses in life and property, now lives are in danger.