Bangladesh could face severe floods again if effective measures are not taken now, experts said at a roundtable on Sunday (22 September) as they stressed the need for rehabilitation efforts for the affected people in 11 districts, including Feni, where farmers and small traders have yet to recover from the devastation.
Chairman of the Centre for the Study of Atmospheric Pollution (CAPS) Prof Dr Abul Kalam Azad and Chairman of River and Delta Research Center Mohammad Ejaz presented the keynote paper at the roundtable, titled “Recent Floods: Causes and Dos”, organised by the Feni Journalist Forum, Dhaka, at the National Press Club today.
The keynote paper read, “This year’s flood is not just due to rain or upstream floods. The way India has behaved with water is at the level of water aggression.”
It highlighted a total loss of at least Tk 14,000 crore from the floods, with Feni alone incurring Tk 2,686 crore in damages, including losses in agriculture, education, infrastructure, and business.
The experts proposed 15 key measures, including holding responsible countries accountable in the International Court of Justice, immediate repair of embankments cut by the BSF at Parshuram, halting illegal water extraction from the Feni River, and ensuring the implementation of the International Water Flow Act.
They also called for science-based flood protection, compensation for victims, removal of river dams and barrages, and the sharing of flood-related data in advance.
Former Dhaka University vice-chancellor and former Ambassador Professor Dr Anwar Ullah Chowdhury was present as the chief guest at the roundtable. He said, “I have never seen so much water in my 80 years. If various steps are not taken, most of the areas of the country including Feni may be drowned again.”
CPD Distinguished Fellow Prof Dr Mustafizur Rahman said, “Long-term support will be needed for the flood victims. If the farmers and ranchers who have lost their capital are not pulled out, the crisis will intensify. He called for easy loans in this sector.”
