Dhaka: Flooding kills 51 nationwide as Mirpur wall collapse takes two lives

Bangladesh's monsoon season has turned deadly, with at least 51 people killed and more than a million affected by flooding and landslides across the country. Dhaka streets remain waterlogged with water rising to knee level in some areas, and a wall collapse in Mirpur killed two people who had been standing in a queue for food distribution.

Flash floods and monsoon rains leave 51 dead across Bangladesh

Heavy monsoon rains have killed at least 51 people across Bangladesh, with more than a million residents affected by flooding and landslides. The rains began more than a week ago and intensified in subsequent days, prompting authorities to issue warnings about floods and landslides, evacuate families from high-risk areas, and postpone student examinations. Thousands of people are now living in government shelters. In the capital Dhaka, streets have flooded with water reaching knee level in some areas, slowing traffic and raising questions among local media about the adequacy of the city's drainage systems. Twenty-eight of the 51 deaths reported occurred in Cox's Bazar, a district home to more than a million Rohingya refugees who make up the world's largest refugee settlement. Last week, several students and a teacher were killed in that district when floodwaters swept through their school. Bangladesh is a low-lying country with many rivers that regularly sees heavy rain during the annual monsoon season. Experts warn that climate change has made rainfall both more intense and more frequent. Sarder Udoy Raihan of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said the situation in the southeast was expected to improve, but cautioned that further inundation remained possible as the monsoon continued to affect the northeast and north of Bangladesh. [6]

Two killed in Mirpur as wall collapses on people queuing for TCB goods

Two people were killed in Dhaka's Mirpur area when a wall collapsed on a group standing in a queue for goods distributed by the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh. The TCB is a government body that subsidises essential commodities for lower-income residents, and queues at distribution points are often long. The collapse drew immediate public attention to the condition of ageing structures in densely populated parts of the city. Following the incident, authorities announced that a probe committee would be formed to investigate the circumstances of the collapse. The deaths added to a broader picture of vulnerability in Dhaka, coming as the city was already dealing with flood-related disruptions from the ongoing monsoon rains. Residents and civic groups have long raised concerns about the structural safety of older buildings and boundary walls in crowded neighbourhoods of the capital. The probe committee's findings are awaited, and there is public pressure on city authorities to act on any recommendations that emerge from the investigation into this tragedy. [2]

🗳️ Dhaka ranked 8th most polluted city in the world

Dhaka has been ranked eighth among the world's most polluted cities, according to a report cited by United News of Bangladesh. The ranking places Dhaka within the top ten of the most severely polluted urban centres globally, a position the city has occupied intermittently over the past several years. Air quality in Dhaka is affected by a combination of factors including vehicle emissions, construction dust, brick kilns on the outskirts of the city, and industrial activity. The monsoon season typically provides some relief by clearing airborne pollutants, but the problem tends to worsen significantly during the dry winter months. The ranking has prompted renewed calls from environmental organisations and civic groups for the government to take more decisive action on clean air measures. Authorities have in the past announced initiatives aimed at reducing pollution levels, including crackdowns on unfit vehicles and restrictions on brick kilns, but implementation has been inconsistent. The continued appearance of Dhaka on such global lists underscores the scale of the challenge that city planners and environmental regulators face. [1]

City's second Miyawaki urban forest opens with 6,100 native trees

Dhaka has opened its second Miyawaki urban forest, planted with 6,100 native trees, in the latest effort to bring green cover to one of Asia's most densely built cities. The Miyawaki method involves planting native species densely together to create fast-growing, self-sustaining forests that can take root in small urban spaces. The opening of a second such forest in Dhaka reflects a growing interest among city authorities and environmental groups in using this approach to offset the severe shortage of green space that characterises much of the capital. Native trees support local biodiversity more effectively than introduced species and are better adapted to local soil and climate conditions, meaning they typically require less maintenance once established. The first Miyawaki forest in Dhaka demonstrated that the method can be applied successfully in the urban environment, and the opening of the second site adds to the body of knowledge about how the city can expand its green footprint. The initiative has been welcomed by residents and conservation groups as a tangible step toward addressing both pollution and the heat island effect in one of South Asia's most crowded urban centres. [4]

Sources: [6] BBC · [2] United News of Bangladesh · [1] United News of Bangladesh · [4] The Climate Watch