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Published : 12 Jul 2025, 11:00 PM
The flooding in Feni has begun to improve with people now leaving shelters and returning to homes that still bear the scars of the earlier deluge.
By Saturday evening, as many as 8,500 people had returned home from the district’s shelters.
Over 1,000 individuals, however, still remain in shelters, according to the district administration.
Floodwaters have receded from the portion of the Feni-Parshuram regional road that runs through Fulgazi Upazila, but parts of the road in Parshuram remain submerged.
Disaster Management Advisor Faruk E Azam visited the damaged embankment along the Muhuri River in Fulgazi on Saturday morning. He also spoke with flood victims at a shelter.
According to the district and Upazila administrations and the Water Development Board, while low-lying areas in 112 villages across the border Upazilas Parshuram and Fulgazi, as well as parts of Chhagalnaiya, Feni Sadar, and Daganbhuiyan, are still waterlogged, most homes are no longer submerged. No new areas have been inundated.
FLOOD VICTIMS STRUGGLE
As the waters ebb, affected residents are now struggling to get back on their feet.
Those whose homes have dried out are busy repairing houses and salvaging their belongings.
Swapna Akhter of Paschim Darbarpur village in Fulgazi’s Darbar Union said her home was still under waist-deep water until Saturday afternoon.
Though she stayed in a shelter for four days, she moved to a nearby house on higher ground on Saturday morning, with the hope that her home would take another week to recover.
Swapna also alleged that she had not received any aid during this trying time.
Anwar Hossain from Paithara village in Fulgazi’s Munshirhat Union said floodwater had drained from his house around Friday afternoon, but knee-deep water still remained in the yard on Saturday. His household furniture and items were damaged by the flooding.
Bimal Das of Uttar Dhanikunda village in Parshuram’s Ctholia Union lost everything after the waters of the Muhuri River tore through his home.
"The flash flood completely destroyed my tin-roofed house,” he said.
He and his family are currently taking refuge elsewhere and are seeking assistance from the government and relevant agencies to restore their house.
AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGE
According to preliminary estimates by the agriculture, fisheries, and livestock departments and the district administration, over 2,350 fish enclosures and ponds and 1,655 hectares of Aman seedbeds have been damaged in four Upazilas.
In the livestock sector, the Parshuram, Fulgazi, and Chhagalnaiya Upazilas have suffered losses amounting to Tk 64.99 million.
Roads and infrastructure have also sustained significant damage. Officials say the full extent of the damage will be determined after the water subsides completely.
Feni Additional Deputy Commissioner Ismail Hossain said more than 1,000 people are still housed in 25 shelters.
The flood-affected Upazilas have been allocated 160 metric tonnes of rice. Both district and Upazila-level officers are working on the ground to manage the crisis, he added.
Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam said relevant departments are working to assess post-flood damages and a full report will be available soon.
“Reconstruction efforts will begin shortly after the damage assessment is complete.”
‘MEGA PROJECT TO BUILD EMBANKMENT ALONG MUHURI RIVER’
Advisor Faruk visited several flood-affected areas in Feni.
He inspected the erosion-hit Napitkona area of Uttar Sripur village along the Muhuri River in Fulgazi Upazila, alongside a shelter at Ali Azam School and College in Munshirhat Union, and later visited shelters in Matiya Goda and Haripur areas of Chhagalnaiya Upazila.
In response to journalists' questions following his visits, the advisor said a mega project worth around Tk 75 billion has been undertaken for sustainable embankment construction along the river, promising a swift start to the work in coordination with relevant stakeholders.
When asked about the quality of previous embankment repairs, he responded: “The advisor responsible for the Ministry of Water Resources will also visit the affected areas next week. Everything will be done in consultation with the people of Feni who have suffered.
“Plans are in place for a permanent solution. Those responsible for poor-quality work in the past will be held accountable. The matter is under investigation.”
