News Desk : dhakamirror.com
Following its devastating impact into Bangladesh on Sunday night, Cyclone Remal has affected over 37.58 lakh people in 19 districts and taken at least 14 lives.
While the cyclone has weakened into a deep depression, hundreds of villages in the southern parts of the country remain submerged.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) reported that Cyclone Remal made landfall near Satkhira and Bagerhat with wind speeds reaching 111km per hour. After a night of havoc, the storm moved north and weakened by Monday (27 May) morning.
BMD Meteorologist Md Monowar Hossain explained that Remal is currently (as of 10:20pm) located near Manikganj and is gradually weakening, bringing rain and thunderstorms.
He cautioned that moderate to heavy rain is expected across the country today, with the possibility of very heavy rainfall in some areas, including Chattogram.
The storm surge accompanying Cyclone Remal inundated vast areas along the southern coast, including Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Bhola, Patuakhali, Jhalokati, Barguna, and Pirojpur. While water levels have begun to recede, many areas still struggle with the aftermath.
At a press briefing at the Secretariat, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Mohibbur Rahman reported that 107 upazilas and 914 unions and municipalities across these districts have incurred losses, with 35,483 houses completely destroyed and 1,14,992 houses partially damaged.
“So far, we have received reports of 10 deaths in Khulna, Satkhira, Barishal, Patuakhali, Bhola, and Chattogram,” said Mohibbur Rahman on Monday evening.
The severely affected districts by Cyclone Remal, according to the ministry, include Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi, Barishal, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Barguna, Bhola, Feni, Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Chandpur, Narail, Gopalganj, Shariatpur, and Jashore.
Relief efforts for the affected population have commenced, with Tk6.85 crore allocated along with 5,500 tonnes of rice and 5,000 packets of dry food for distribution.
“We conducted pre-disaster activities in coordination with all government departments and are now continuing with post-disaster activities. I personally spoke with MPs from coastal districts to assess the situation on the ground,” said Mohibbur.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is closely monitoring the overall situation, he added. Mohibbur also mentioned that 9,424 shelters were opened in coastal areas ahead of the cyclone, accommodating over 800,000 individuals along with local educational institutions.
Furthermore, 1,471 medical teams have been formed to provide healthcare to affected individuals, of which 1,400 teams are currently operational.
