Rain floods paralyse Bangladesh

DHAKA: The heaviest rain to sweep Bangladesh in at least five years flooded most of the capital on Tuesday, bringing more misery to a country still recovering from the worst floods in 15 years.

City officials and witnesses said many of Dhaka’s streets were under water up to thigh-deep, forcing most residents to stay home and government offices to remain shut. “I have never seen such heavy rain in many years,” said slum-dweller Mohammad Motaleb on Tuesday, who was moving home for a second time in two weeks after rain flooded his shanty house. He had returned to his home only couple of weeks ago after July’s floods swamped two-thirds of the country, killing more than 700 people and leaving about 10 million homeless.

Incessant rains have been falling for five days. “This has been the heaviest and longest spell of rain in the country in at least five years,” a Dhaka weather official said on Tuesday. The Dhaka weather office said nearly 350 mm of rain was recorded in the capital since Sunday. A similar amount had fallen across many other parts of the country. The rain was expected to continue for a few more days. Airport officials said at least 25 domestic and international flights had been delayed or cancelled since Monday. Ferry and train services were also disrupted.

Schools, shops and many offices were closed. Six people were reported to have died in the capital from electrocution and a wall collapse on Monday. Hundreds of families in Dhaka rushed to store drinking water and buy emergency supplies after floodwaters inundated water pumps. reuters

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