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Published : 01 Oct 2025, 01:57 PM
The water that rose after overnight rain had yet to recede in Dhaka as of Wednesday afternoon, disrupting daily life for city residents.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has also forecast heavy rain for the next four days, warning of further inundation in certain parts of the capital and advising that preventative measures be taken.
Dhaka recorded 203mm of rainfall over the past 24 hours, the highest in the country, according to Meteorologist Kazi Zebunnesa. Of this, 132mm fell between midnight and 6am.
She said the downpour was being caused by a low-pressure system, coupled with active monsoon winds.
“This trend will continue until the 4th of October. The risk of waterlogging in Dhaka will increase further,” Zebunnesa said.
STREETS UNDER WATER
Several areas remained waterlogged into the morning hours. The road in front of Notre Dame College in Arambag and the road outside New Market were submerged as of 11:30am. The road outside the Outdoor Department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital was also inundated as of 10am. There was also water in front of the Bakshibazar Education Board building as of 11am.
Around 8:30am, waterlogging was seen in front of the Abul Hotel on DIT Road, at 9:45am on the road in front of Mouchak Market in Malibagh, as of 10am in front of Rapa Plaza in Dhanmondi and in the Dhanmondi Road No. 27 area, and in the morning in Mirpur’s Kazipara and Shewrapara areas.
The water was knee high in front of New Market around 10am. Some were crossing the water on foot, others on rickshaw vans. The water had risen into different stores.
Jewel Rana, a shop employee, said: “We suffer this way throughout the year. The road sits a bit low, so it gets waterlogged whenever it rains.”
New Market trader Roman Mia said that the problem has been a persistent one for the past few years, so local traders often make preparations.
“The store owners know how far the water will rise when it rains. Accordingly, they store their goods at a certain height. Even then, the water damages our goods.”
Air Commodore Md Mahbubur Rahman Talukder, chief waste management officer of the Dhaka South City Corporation, said around noon that nearly all parts of Dhaka had seen waterlogging due to the overnight rain. The water had receded in 80 percent of areas as of noon, but a few other areas were still flooded.
“There is still some water in New Market and some other areas,” he said. “Our workers are trying to remove it. The water as at waist height on Green Road around 9am. Now there isn’t any water there.”
He said, “I have heard about the weather forecast. We are working to remove waterlogging and are prepared.”
Commodore ABM Shamsul Alam, chief waste management officer of the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), said the DNCC had undertaken a major initiative to clean canals and drains in the area, so most roads were not seeing the same waterlogging issues they had before.
“My belief was that once the canals and drains were cleaned, there would be no more waterlogging. That is why we cleaned the canals and drains. We have started to see the results. Dhanmondi Road No. 27 was always waterlogged. It wasn’t this time.”
He said, “The drainage system in the Airport area has broken down due to the many development projects under way. There were some water bodies there, but they have been filled. As a result, the water has nowhere to go.”
Shamsul said steps were being taken to remove water amid the forecast of heavy rain in the upcoming days.
“We have personnel for a Quick Response Team. We have cleaners. Workers from our engineering department will support us as well. But, in order to find a long-term solution to waterlogging, we must raise public awareness so that people do not litter carelessly and block the drains and canals. This blocks the water from draining out.”
