Thousands marooned

A sudden erosion of its banks by the mighty Padma damaged the pontoons at Mawa ferry terminal suspending ferry services yesterday resulting in a queue of vehicles that went for miles. While repairs were being made. Photo: Star

Incessant downpour for the last few days coupled with high tide of rivers left several thousand people marooned in different districts across the country.
A large number of mud houses, croplands, roads and embankments also went under water at different places in the country due to the heavy rain.
The ferry services on different river routes were also disrupted due to strong current, leaving hundreds of vehicles stuck on both sides of different ferry ghats that caused immense sufferings for the passengers.
Highest 81 mm rainfall was recorded at Kutubdia in Cox's Bazar in the last 24 hours ended at 6:00am, according to the Met office.
A special bulletin of the Met office yesterday said the land depression over West Bengal and adjoining areas persists.
Under its influence, steep pressure gradient persists and deep convection is taking place over the Bay, the bulletin said, adding that squally weather might affect North Bay, adjoining costal areas of Bangladesh and the maritime ports.

Bus passengers suffered the delays. Photo: Star

Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Mongla had been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal no. 3.
Our Bagerhat correspondent reports, 1500 to 2000 people were marooned by water due to heavy rain and unusual high tide.
Seedbeds on 300 hectares of land went under water, which would hamper the production of Aus paddy, according to local agriculture division.
Some shrimp enclosures and water bodies were washed away in the district due to heavy downpour.
Around five thousand people of Nijhum Dwip and Hatiya -- two islands under Noakhali district -- were marooned due to torrential rain and high tide, reports our Noakhali correspondent.
Thousands of passengers on Dhaka-Chittagong highway suffered a 36-km tailback at Daudkandi in Comilla yesterday due to rainwater that submerged different parts of the road.
Several areas of the highway were waterlogged due to the heavy downpour since Thursday, disrupting vehicular movements, reports a correspondent from Daudkandi.
Several thousand vehicles were stuck in the tailback on both sides of the highway since 6:00am, said Md Shahinul Islam, a sub-inspector of Daudkandi highway police outpost.
Meantime, ferry services on Mawa-Kawrakandi river route resumed yesterday morning around 14 hours after remaining suspended due to inclement weather in the Padma.
A limited number of water vessels including launch, speedboats also started plying the route around 11:00am, reports our Munshiganj correspondent.
The ferry services on Paturia-Doulatdia river route also resumed yesterday morning after being suspended for around 10 hours due to the high tide and heavy rain.
Around 11,523 hectares of croplands had been affected by the recent rain and high tide in the district, our Jhalkathi correspondent quoted Sahajalal, assistant agriculture officer of the district agriculture office, as saying.