Depression deepens

Incessant rain disrupted normal life in the country's coastal districts yesterday due to the impact of the depression in the west-central Bay of Bengal.

The depression intensified into a deep depression and moved north-northeastwards. It is likely to inundate the coastal districts with waves above normal tides, said a weather department forecast. 

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At noon, the depression was about 630 km west-southwest off Chittagong port, 595 km west-southwest off Cox's Bazar port, 500 km southwest off Mongla port, and 495 km southwest off Payra port.

The depression is likely to intensify further and move in a north-northeasterly direction and may cross the Barisal-Chittagong coast by this morning.    

All fishing boats and trawlers in the North Bay and deep sea have been advised to stay close to the shore till further notice.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) last night suspended operations of all passenger and cargo vessels across the country due to inclement weather.

The embargo, which was imposed around 8:00pm, would remain in force until further notice, BIWTA Chairman Commodore Mohammad Mozammel Haque told The Daily Star.

“We hope the weather would start improving from tomorrow [Sunday] afternoon. Then we will decide on resuming vessel operations,” he added.

The meteorological department has advised the maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Mongla and Payra to hoist local cautionary signal-4 instead of signal-3.

An official at Dhaka Met office said it was not a warning for final preparedness for a disaster and the chances of the depression turning into a cyclone was slim as it was moving towards the land. 

Under the influence of the depression, the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Barisal, Bhola, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira, and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by tidal surges.   

The districts might have to deal with gusty wind with speed of 50 to 60 km per hour, accompanied by heavy to very heavy downpour during the passage of the depression. 

In Barisal, the river port authorities yesterday restricted the services of vessels of up to 65 feet long on 29 regional routes.  

Incessant rain, overcast sky and chilly wind disrupted life and livelihoods of the daily bread-earners in the divisional city, as the Barisal Met office recorded over 43 mm rainfall in the city and its adjoining areas in 12 hours till last evening.

In Pirojpur, normal life was hit as rain lashed the district in the last two days.      

Farmers and day labourers in Jhalakathi had to stay indoors as they could not go out for work. 

In Patuakhali, aman paddy fields in the district's eight upazilas were badly damaged due to heavy rain since Friday morning. The local Met office recorded 84.5 mm rainfall from early Friday till yesterday noon.

JSC EXAM RESCHEDULED

The government has rescheduled today's Junior School Certificate (JSC) examination under Barisal and Chittagong boards due to inclement weather.

Today's Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) exam under the Madrasa Board has also been postponed.

Today's JSC exam will be held on November 12 at 10:00am, and the JDC exam on November 19 at the same time, education ministry officials said.

[Our correspondents in Barisal, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi and Patuakhali contributed to this report.]