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Unrelenting monsoon showers battered the capital on Sunday, bringing the bustling city to a near standstill as widespread waterlogging crippled traffic, stranded thousands of commuters and disrupted daily life.
Since shortly after midnight, torrential rain has inundated large parts of Dhaka, crippling traffic across the capital and forcing several schools to suspend classes and postpone examinations.
Major roads and intersections in Mirpur, Shewrapara, Agargaon, Mohammadpur, Farmgate, Malibagh, Badda, Jatrabari, Demra, Old Dhaka, Shantinagar, Gulistan, Motijheel, Paltan and Kakrail went under water, leaving vehicles trapped in long tailbacks and turning the daily commute into an hours-long ordeal for thousands of residents.
The situation was worsened by ongoing road excavation projects, with partially dug-up streets submerged under muddy water, creating hazardous conditions for motorists and pedestrians alike.
Office-goers, students and day labourers were among the worst affected as public transport crawled through flooded roads. In many neighbourhoods, rickshaws and motorcycles struggled to navigate submerged streets, while pedestrians were forced to wade through ankle- to knee-deep water.
Residents said even short journeys had become difficult, blaming the city’s chronic drainage problems for the recurring waterlogging after every spell of heavy rain.
The adverse weather also disrupted academic activities. Several educational institutions declared a holiday and postponed half-yearly examinations over safety concerns, saying revised schedules would be announced later.
The downpour also affected kitchen markets across the city. Traders reported fewer customers as many residents avoided unnecessary travel, while supplies of vegetables from surrounding districts slowed because of transport disruptions.
Prices of several kitchen essentials edged up, raising concerns that prolonged rainfall could push up the cost of vegetables, fish and other perishable items.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), Dhaka recorded 76 millimetres of rainfall between midnight and 6:00am on Sunday, the city’s heaviest six-hour downpour so far this month. The capital received a total of 97 millimetres of rain during the preceding 24 hours.
The weather office said the active monsoon is likely to persist, forecasting moderate to heavy rainfall across Dhaka and other parts of the country, with isolated areas expected to receive very heavy showers accompanied by gusty winds.
Meanwhile, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) warned that 10 districts could face fresh flooding within the next 24 to 72 hours as rivers continue to swell due to heavy rainfall and upstream flows.
Flood alerts have been issued for Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Kurigram and Gaibandha, where the Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers may rise above danger levels, triggering short-term flooding in adjacent low-lying areas.
Authorities further advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel during heavy rain, remain vigilant in flood-prone areas and exercise extra caution on slippery roads, where poor visibility and waterlogging have increased the risk of accidents.
