Sidr still 'alive' on wreckage trail

Monir Hossain Kamal

Correspondent

Barguna, Nov 15 (bdnews24.com)—Memory haunts those who lost their loved ones in cyclone Sidr on this day five years ago.

The cyclone accompanied by high-tide had hit the southern coastal region around 10:30pm on Nov 15, 2007, leaving behind a trail of devastation that claimed lives of about 3,500 people and rendered 77,754 families homeless.

About 1,500 were killed in Barguna alone by the cyclone. More than half a million domestic animals were washed away.

The district administration, district press club, and non-government organisations, including Plan Bangladesh, have chalked out programmes to remember the Sidr victims.

The programmes include condolence rally, placing wreath at the mass grave at Paschim Garjanbunia, and memorial meeting. Near and dear ones of the victims have been invited to attend the programmes.

Even in these years since the deadly cyclone unleashed its destruction the affected embankment along Naltona and other residential areas in Barguna could not be raised to a safe height to protect people against such natural calamity.

According to Barguna Water Development Board, Sidr destroyed 54 of 850 km of embankment in the district completely, and 396 km partly. Of the affected parts, 100 km still lies vulnerable to any natural calamities.

Standing on the embankment, Taslima Akter, 28, remembered how the cyclone washed her parents and son away. Abdus Sattar, 35, also failed to save the lives of his wife and their three children.

It drizzled throughout that evening until they went to bed after dinner, said Akter and Sattar as they recollected memories of that night.

They heard a cyclone was about to hit, but could not think of leaving home. Many of their neighbors, however, took shelter at nearby shelter centres or government schools.

"It all began around 10:30 pm. Strong wind sent our rooftop flying in the air before we could even recognize what was happening, and then water washed us away as if the entire sea was rushing towards us," said Sattar.

The next morning, Sattar and Akter, like many others, retrieved bodies of their family members. Many could not even find theirs.

NGO Jago Chief Executive Hosneara Hashi thinks Barguna people did not get the cyclone warning properly except for them who heard the announcement Red Crescent volunteers made through loudspeakers in a couple of areas.

Naltona was the most affected village as it was not protected by embankment the day the cyclone hit. Tide water rising as high as 20 feet his the village and washed everything away.

The entire village was under water and there was barely any place where its inhabitants could bury the dead. They had to carry the bodies to Gorjonbunia village beside Barguna-Nisanbaria road.

Finally, 33 people were buried in 19 graves, all in their regular dresses as funeral cloth was unavailable, let along giving them a proper funeral.

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