Dhaka, Oct 21 – Moderate to heavy rainfall, triggered by land depression in the Bay, has been continuing throughout Bangladesh including the capital Dhaka, disrupting the normal life in the city and elsewhere in the country for the second day on Saturday.Rohingyas who have just arrived fleeing Myanmar to avoid persecution carried out by the military forces passed two troublesome days on Friday and Saturday due to the torrential rainfall.
The newcomers were seen roaming here and there to find covered space for saving them from the incessant rain. Some of them managed to collect tents given by the UNHCR.
Kunsuma, who entered Bangladesh on Thursday along with her husband and three children, said, “We passed the night during the rain in a small tent with more than 100 people in a congested situation and couldn’t sleep.”
Khulna, Barisal and Dhaka administrative divisions witnessed the maximum heavy showers and the Met office recorded 90 mm, 86 mm and 76 mm rainfall in the three divisions respectively from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm on Friday, said Sarwar Alam, assistant meteorologist of Dhaka Met office.
The Met office also recorded 47 mm rainfall in Rajshahi division, 40 mm in Mymensingh, 25 mm in Rangpur, 14 mm in Chittagong divisions and six mm in Sylhet division in last 12 hours, Sarwar added.
Kunsuma, who entered Bangladesh on Thursday along with her husband and three children, said, “We passed the night during the rain in a small tent with more than 100 people in a congested situation and couldn’t sleep.”
“We are not getting adequate food and relief. All of my three children wept throughout the night due to hunger.”
Mohammed Selim, CEO of Mukti Cox’s Bazar, an NGO which provided some food with the finance of World Food Programme (WPO), told UNB, “We had to start our service late in the morning due to heavy downpour. We are providing high energy biscuits among the newly arrived Rohingyas.”
“We have also provided a card which will ensure their ration of 25kg of rice twice a month,” he added.
Mohammad Musa Ali, a resident of Mongdhu of Mynmar, said he passed the last night in a tent as he and his family didn’t have a place to live in.
“It was very painful as the tent was fully packed with refugees. We had to suffer much due to lack of space inside the tent. My two sons and three little daughters starved all night,” Ali added.
Around 7,000 to 8,000 Rohingyas, who had been waiting in the No Man’s Land for four days in the Anjunpara area along the boarder, have entered Bangladesh on Thursday.
Under the influence of land depression over Odisha coast and adjoining areas, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to continue and the weather is likely to improve on Sunday, weather forecasters have.
The maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal no three due to the depression formed in the Bay.
The depression over coastal Odisha and adjoining area moved Northwestwards and was centred at 6:00 am on Friday over Odisha and adjoining area as a land depression.
Under the influence of the land depression the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Bhola, Barisal, Patuakhali, Jhalakati, Pirojpur, Barguna, Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by wind driven surge of 1-2 feet height above normal astronomical tide.
Low-income people, especially the day labourers, suffered much as rain disrupted their normal pace of life.
As the day is a holiday, the people preferred to stay inside their residences. Besides, those who were going to appear in the examinations are suffering a lot due to the incessant rainfall.
However, the newly intruded Rohingyas of the Rakhine state of Myanmar, who have taken shelter in several makeshift camps in Cox’s Bazar district, suffered much due to the torrential rainfall.
The Met office recorded nine mm rainfall in the district in the last 12 hours.
Hundreds of Rohingyas, who fled Myanmar to avoid military persecution, were seen roaming throughout the day for searching a place to save themselves from rain while many were seen staying in the tents provided by the UNHCR. – UNB
