‘No waterlogging, only water congestion’: State minister on Chattogram rainfall
State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Mir Shahe Alam today said there was no waterlogging in Chattogram city during the rainfall yesterday, asserting that only “water congestion” occurred at five locations.
Speaking at parliament under Section 300 of the Rules of Procedure of the Jatiya Sangsad, he said, reports of the port city being submerged were “baseless, fabricated, and imaginary”, adding that old photos from 2024 had been circulated to spread misinformation and fuel propaganda.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman while answering a supplementary question at the parliament yesterday, had expressed regrets to the residents of Chattogram for their suffering. Following the PM’s instructions, the state minister visited the port city and inspected the situation.
Reiterating his position, Shahe Alam said, “When I spoke to people on the streets, they said they were happy that the PM had apologised to Chattogram residents. They took it very positively, saying that compared to one or two years ago, waterlogging has reduced.”
The state minister said Chattogram has 57 canals, of which 36 are being developed under a Tk 12,000 crore project implemented by the army through the Chattogram Development Authority. Work on 30 canals has been completed, while six remain ongoing.
He noted that temporary embankments built during construction had caused water congestion following heavy rainfall.
On the day in question, Chattogram received 220 millimetres of rain, leading to flooding at five points, including Prabartak Mor. Joint operations cleared the water within three to four hours, and by Thursday, no water remained.
“A coordinated committee has been formed under the mayor’s leadership to take immediate action if such incidents occur again. Work on the six canals with embankments has been halted, and instructions have been given to restore water flow within five days. Unless there is extreme rainfall or tidal surge, there will be no possibility of waterlogging in Chattogram city from the next monsoon season,” the state minister said.
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