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Published : 28 Apr 2026, 05:23 PM
Several hours of heavy rainfall have caused severe waterlogging in different areas of Chattogram city.
Since Tuesday morning, the sky over the port city has remained cloudy. A light drizzle began after 10am, and by around 11am, dark clouds had covered the sky. Then, from 12pm to 2pm, the rain started pouring down.
As the rain intensified, water began accumulating on roads in various parts of the city. The worst waterlogging was reported from the Golpahar intersection to Prabartak intersection and up to the road in front of Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH).
Around 1pm, waist- to chest-deep water was seen in the area adjacent to the Badna Shah shrine. Vehicles and pedestrians had to brave the waterlogged streets to get anywhere.
The road beside the shrine, leading to the Nursing College, was also submerged. Patients visiting several private clinics, including CSCR and Seba Diagnostic Centre, were stranded in the floodwater.
The same neighbourhood had been inundated during the first rain shower of the Bengali month of Baishakh on Monday.
During a visit to the area on Tuesday afternoon, several auto-rickshaws were found stranded after their engines shut down in the water. A car parked on one side of the road and three motorcycles on the street had more than half their bodies submerged.
Samiul Haque, who was on his way to CMCH, got stuck in the water before reaching Prabartak intersection.
He told bdnews24.com, “There are many important institutions here, including a medical college, clinics, and diagnostic centres. This road gets flooded repeatedly. With the monsoon approaching, the authorities should have thought about how to keep this part of the canal clean beforehand.”
Renovation work is ongoing in the Panchlaish section of Hijra Canal, where a temporary earthen embankment has been built inside the canal.
Due to Tuesday’s heavy rain, the water rose in the canal and overflowed the road in the area. In Katalganj, one side of the road has remained closed for the past two months because of culvert repairs, and water has also accumulated there.
In addition, from the Muradpur to the N Mohammad stretch of the canal, water had overflowed onto the main road. This slowed traffic movement significantly and caused long traffic jams.
Waterlogging was also found in Bahaddarhat, Tin Poler Matha, Jamal Khan’s Prochchhod Goli, and Rahmatganj.
When asked about the situation, Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Deputy Chief Cleaning Officer Pranab Kumar Sharma said: “We are checking these places to identify the problems. Where embankments have been built on canals, only one pipe has been installed for water flow, while the canal width is 20 feet. In heavy rain, so much water cannot drain through a single pipe.”
Around 2:30pm, city Mayor Shahadat Hossain visited the Prabartak intersection and CMCH areas.
Later, he told journalists: “I came here in person to inspect the problematic areas. I have already visited Bahaddarhat, Muradpur, Gosaildanga, CDA, Agrabad, Chawkbazar, and Phultali. I am monitoring the situation.
“In fact, a major operation is under way. Last monsoon, we were able to reduce waterlogging. This year too, we are hopeful that if work on Hijra Canal is completed by May 15, we will be able to reduce waterlogging.”
The mayor said the work around Prabartak Mor and nearby areas is being carried out by the 34 Construction Brigade. Under a project of the Chattogram Development Authority, work on Hijra Canal, Jamal Khan Canal, and parts of Muradpur is still incomplete.
“Work is ongoing in the Prabartak, Panchlaish, and Katalganj sections of Hijra Canal. Because of embankments built in different places, water has risen in Chawkbazar, Prabartak, and in front of the medical college. Retaining wall work is being carried out there. They told us they would hand over the work by May 15.”
Very Heavy Rainfall and Landslide Risk
The Patenga office of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said that 51mm of rainfall was recorded in the three hours from 12pm to 3pm on Tuesday. In the previous 24 hours, rainfall had been 6mm.
The BMD has forecast Nor’wester storms with lightning in all eight divisions of the country.
At the same time, there may be very heavy rainfall in some parts of the country for the next four days.
As a result, there is a risk of landslides in the Chattogram Division, the BMD warned.
Ahead of the upcoming monsoon season, the CCC began a month-long drain and canal cleaning campaign in the city last week.
On the other hand, under the ongoing mega project to solve the city’s waterlogging problem, the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) is renovating 36 canals. Most of the work has been completed, but work on Hijra Canal and Jamal Khan Canal is still ongoing.
