On August 21, 2024, heavy rainfall, coupled with a surge of water released from a dam in India's Tripura,[6] resulted in severe flooding that affected 73 upazilas (sub-districts) and 528 unions/municipalities across 11 districts in northeastern and southeastern Bangladesh.[1] It marks one of the worst flood events in recent history.
Cloudbursts began on the morning of 19 August, leading to prolonged and intense rainfall. The subsequent deluge, compounded by water flowing downstream, inundated the eastern region of the affected area. The cloudbursts extended over a stretch of 50 to 70 kilometers, impacting areas from Tripura in India to Cumilla and Feni in Bangladesh. These regions experienced heavy rainfall consistently from 19 to 21 August.[7]
22 August
At 6 PM, the water flow at the Dalya point was recorded at 51.50 centimeters. The danger level for this point is considered to be 52.15 centimeters. At the same time, the water flow at the Kaunia point was 28.61 centimeters, with a danger level of 29.31 centimeters. Compared to 3 PM, the water flow at this point increased by 0.7 centimeters at 6 PM.[8]
23 August
At 9 AM, the water level of the Gomti River at the Devi Dwara point in Comilla was measured at 8.58 meters, which is 53 centimeters above the danger level. At the same time, the river water was flowing at a height of 12.48 meters at the Comilla point. An analysis of 37 years of data from 1988 to 2024 by the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) revealed that the Gomti River had never reached such a high level.[9][9]
24 August
The Flood Forecasting and Warning Center reported that, there was no significant rainfall in the past 24 hours in India's Tripura border areas of the eastern districts of Comilla, Brahmanbaria, and Feni, as well as in the inner catchment of Tripura state. The water levels in the upstream rivers continued to recede. The flood situation in the low-lying areas of Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Feni, Cumilla, and Chattogram districts improved.[10]
25 August
The flood situation in Noakhali deteriorated drastically due to the upstream water from Feni.[11] The flood situation in Lakshmipur also deteriorated. The water level was observed to have risen further by the evening.[12]
26 August
India opened all 109 gates of the Farakka Barrage, resulting in the release of 1.1 million cubic feet per second of water into Bangladesh in a single day. The opening of the dam also raised concerns about further flooding in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, India.[13]
27 August
The flooding situation in Lakshmipur deteriorated again due to continuous rain starting in the evening.[14] Floods in Mirsharai, Chattogram, began receding.[15] However, some localities in Dagonbhuj and Sonagazi upazilas remained inundated.[16] Faruk Ahmed, the advisor on disaster management and relief, stated that no new areas had been inundated even after the Farakka barrage gates were opened.[17]
28 August
Floodwaters in Monohorganj, Comilla, continued to rise.[18] Floodwaters in eight upazilas and seven municipalities of Noakhali continued to rise because of flows from Feni due to continuous heavy rainfall. Water levels also rose in Sadar, Kabirhat, Companiganj, Begumganj, Senbagh, Sonaimuri, Chatkhil and Sonaimuri upazilas.[19]
29 August
Following the cessation of rainfall, three to eight inches of water decreased in the previous 24 hours across all the upazilas of Noakhali. At that rate, it was estimated that the floodwaters would take about one week to recede fully.[20]
Cause
Experts believe that the sudden heavy rainfall caused by a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, coupled with upstream water from transboundary rivers, led to the flood situation in the country.[2] Simultaneously, the opening of the dam of the Dumbur Hydroelectric Project in the Indian state of Tripura is also attributed to the flood.[21] Although Indian media reported this, the Indian government later denied it.[22][23][24][25] Bangladeshi locals accused India of releasing water from the Dumbur dam with no warning.[26]
On 3 September 2024, the reported fatalities included 45 men, 19 children, and seven women. The highest number of deaths occurred in Feni, with 28 fatalities. In addition, 19 people died in Comilla, 11 in Noakhali, six in Chattogram, and three in Cox's Bazar. There was one death each in Khagrachari, Brahmanbaria, Lakshmipur, and Moulvibazar. This brought the total death toll from the floods to 71.[3]
Impact
According to the National Disaster Response Coordination Center (NDRCC), approximately 5.8 million people in the northeastern and southeastern regions have been affected by recent flooding, with over 1 million individuals currently isolated in flood-impacted communities. As a result, 502,501 people have been displaced and are residing in 3,403 evacuation shelters.
The districts most severely impacted include Noakhali, Cumilla, Laxipur, Feni, Chattogram, and Moulvibazar. The flooding has submerged rural roads, agricultural fields, and fishponds, disrupting essential access and severely impacting local livelihoods. The disaster has affected an estimated 296,852 hectares of crops.[5] Total damage estimated by the Centre for Policy Dialogue reached Tk144 billion (US$1.2 billion).[4]
Domestic reactions
Nahid Islam, an advisor to the interim government, said that India had deliberately released water by opening the dam's gates without prior notice showcasing their inhumanity and non-cooperation with Bangladesh.[27]Left Democratic Alliance leaders accused India of violating international law by opening dams without prior warning. According to international law, an upstream country is supposed to inform a downstream country 72 hours before opening the gates of a dam. However, the Dumbur and Kalsi dams were opened without any prior warning.[28] The Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Kumar Verma, claimed that the Dumbur dam in India opened automatically, not intentionally.[29]Bangladesh Nationalist Party Standing Committee member Hafizuddin Ahmed said that "India, by unjustly constructing dams on common rivers, has obstructed the natural flow of water. This, he argues, is the reason why people in the country are suffering from floods."[30]
International responses
China provided a US$20,000 grant to assist those affected by the floods through its Ambassador Yao Wen, who handed over the grant check during a courtesy call on Professor Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to the interim government. Yao then added that the Chinese Red Cross would also provide US$100,000 in humanitarian assistance.[31]
The Ministry of External Affairs of India issued a press release stating that the flood situation in Bangladesh was not caused by the release of water from Indian dams on the Gomti River in Tripura.[32] On 21 August, Zee 24 Ghanta, a mainstream Indian media outlet, published a report with a headline that read, 'India releases water! Bangladesh is drowning with a desperate plea...' This headline sparked widespread criticism on social media leading to Zee's website being defaced by Bangladeshi hacktivists.[33] Later, Zee changed the headline to, 'India releases water, Bangladesh is flooded.[34]
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep concern over the loss of life and destruction caused by the floods and expressed his condolences and solidarity with Bangladesh.[35]
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his sorrow for the disaster in Bangladesh and noted that Turkey would stand by the Bangladeshi people.[36] Erdoğan said Turkey would provide humanitarian aid.[37]
The UK government announced an additional £450,000 (approximately Tk 7 crore) in humanitarian aid to support over 36,000 individuals affected by the floods.[38] This new funding supplements £33,000 (approximately Tk 5.2 lakh) in emergency relief that was previously allocated on August 26. The additional £450,000 (approximately Tk 7 crore) in humanitarian aid brings the UK's total support for disaster preparedness and response in 2024 to over £1,500,000 (approximately Tk 23.4 crore).[39]
Palestine's Ambassador to Bangladesh Yousef S.Y. Ramadan delivered relief goods to As-Sunnah Foundation, a non-profit organization in Bangladesh. In his remarks, Ramadan conveyed his sympathies to the Bangladeshi people, stating, “Bangladesh and Palestine share historical ties, and we wish to stand by them in times of crisis.” He also acknowledged Bangladesh's strong support for the Palestinian cause.[40]
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