Deadly Monsoon Floods in Bangladesh Kill 51 and Displace Thousands

At least 51 people have died and over one million have been affected by severe monsoon floods and landslides in Bangladesh over recent days. The heavy rains, intensified by a depression in the Bay of Bengal, caused rivers to overflow and triggered landslides across seven regions, including the capital Dhaka. Thousands have lost their homes, and many are now sheltering in government facilities.

The southeastern district of Cox's Bazar, home to the world's largest concentration of Rohingya refugees, was particularly hard hit, accounting for 28 of the fatalities. Last week, several students and a teacher were killed when floodwaters swept through their school in the area. Floodwaters in Dhaka have reached knee height in some neighborhoods, severely disrupting traffic and raising concerns about the city's drainage infrastructure.

Authorities have evacuated families from high-risk zones and postponed school exams as a precaution. Sarder Uday Rihan from the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre told AFP that conditions in the southeast are expected to improve soon, but warned that the monsoon season continues to threaten northeastern and northern parts of the country with potential further flooding. Experts note that climate change has intensified the frequency and severity of monsoon rains in Bangladesh, a low-lying, river-rich nation prone to seasonal flooding.