Every year, monsoon showers invariably turn stretches of Dhaka into shallow, stubborn lakes.

Dr Efadul Huq, assistant professor of environmental science and policy at Smith College in the US, talks about the governance failures behind persistent urban waterlogging in Bangladesh.

Dhaka waterlogging is driven by colonial urban planning that deliberately destroyed historic Dhaka canals and wetlands.

The first clear and large scale planning for Dhaka city emerges in the form of this master plan.

Shafiqur calls for long-term action to address the capital’s worsening urban crisis

Dhaka has been developed in an unplanned manner for decades; canals and ponds have been filled up, and concrete has been laid down in water retention areas.

Dhaka’s persistent waterlogging is driven by fragmented management, the lack of an integrated master plan, unchecked urbanisation, and the steady disappearance of wetlands and canals, according to experts.

Cloudbursts sound poetic; the monsoon is dreamy. Getting drenched in the rain, pouring steaming dudh cha into a saucer by the roadside and blowing across its surface, watching the city turn emerald under the downpour -- these are the images that make the monsoon feel romantic.

The Daily Star photographers Anisur Rahman, Prabir Das, Palash Khan and Rashed Shumon captured the photos today from Dhanmondi 27, Moghbazar, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, and Kazipara areas.

Heavy overnight rain inundates several areas; traffic slows as residents wade through flooded streets

Intermittent rains over the last few days once again left parts of Dhaka submerged, exposing the chronic weaknesses of the city’s drainage system.

Many Dhaka residents no longer express surprise when heavy rain leads to waterlogging and traffic paralysis.

It is completely unacceptable that after years of projects, promises, and public spending, Dhaka still remains unprepared to tackle waterlogging.

Dhaka’s two city corporations have identified 141 locations vulnerable to waterlogging ahead of the upcoming monsoon and said they are taking measures to reduce the risk.

We need good governance and real solutions

DSCC needs a sustainable drainage strategy, and must recover occupied canals

Free the canals and flood flow zones, stop encroachment

The poor drainage system of Dhaka was once again exposed during the recent heavy rainfall that inundated large swathes of the city.

Once upon a time, boats would glide through the waters of Karwan Bazar. Laden with goods -- sacks of rice, fresh vegetables, timber, and pottery -- these boats would anchor at the dock near what is now the Film Development Corporation.

In Dhaka, rain comes as a call for chaos. Streets get submerged, water often invades homes in low-lying areas, and life in the capital slows to a frustrating crawl.