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Several low-lying areas of Dighinala in Khagrachhari have been flooded again following hours of heavy rain, disrupting road communication and inundating homes and farmland.
Rain that began on Friday night caused water levels in the Maini River and surrounding hill streams and canals to rise rapidly.
A total of 89mm of rainfall was recorded on Saturday morning, sending the Maini River above the danger level and flooding low-lying areas in Merung, Kabakhali and Boalkhali.
Several sections of the Dighinala-Merung road have gone underwater, forcing authorities to suspend vehicular movement. As a result, road communication between Langadu and the rest of the country has been disrupted.
Local residents are using small boats to cross submerged sections of the road.
Several overnight coaches of Shanti Paribahan travelling from Dhaka to Langadu became stranded near Merung Headquarters. With the road underwater, passengers had to cross the flooded sections by local boats.
In some areas, floodwater has entered homes, while Aman rice fields and plots growing summer vegetables have also been submerged.
Mobarok Hossain, a local resident, said he had left Dhaka on Friday night but was forced to stop after reaching the flooded section.
“Now that the road is underwater, vehicles cannot move. We have to use local boats with our belongings. All the passengers on the bus are facing the same situation,” he said.
Merung resident Mohammad Rokon Mia said the area had been flooded repeatedly in recent weeks.
“It was flooded once last week, and now it has gone underwater again. Water has entered Merung three times in the past two months, damaging both our homes and farmland,” he said.
Farmer Subimal Chakma of Madhya Boalkhali said his Aman field was submerged again early Saturday, just days after he completed planting the seedlings.
“It flooded once in July and twice this month. How are farmers supposed to survive?” he said.
Subudhi Chakma, a balloon maker at the Dighinala Weather Observation Centre, said there had been several spells of rain on Friday night, with 89mm recorded by Saturday morning.
Dighinala Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Tanzil Parvez said seven families had taken shelter at Pablakhali Government Primary School.
He said new relief allocations were expected to arrive in the upazila and would be distributed soon. Road communication remains suspended in Merung because of the flooding, he added.