Praising Bangladesh’s initiative to reduce disaster risks for people with disabilities, speakers said, reducing risks for all, leaving no one behind, is a very easy thing to say but difficult to accomplish. However, Bangladesh is showing the world how to reduce the disaster risks for all, even for people with disabilities.

Over 1.5 million children are at increased risk of waterborne diseases, drowning and malnutrition due to extensive flooding in north-eastern Bangladesh, said Unicef Bangladesh in a statement yesterday.

Over the decade, Bangladesh has earned the name of a role model in disaster management despite being one of the most disaster-prone and climate-vulnerable countries.

Over 1.5 million children are at increased risk of waterborne diseases, drowning and malnutrition due to extensive flooding in north-eastern Bangladesh, said Unicef Bangladesh in a statement today.

With the water levels of the Surma and Kushiyara rivers slowly receding, the damning impacts of the floods in Sylhet and Sunamganj has become more visible.

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck near the east coast of Honshu, Japan's main island on Sunday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.

With rivers in Sylhet and Sunamganj still flowing above the danger level, fisheries and crop farms have been bearing the brunt.

Water of Jamuna river has increased by 34 cm at Manikganj’s Aricha point in last 24 hours till this afternoon.

Around 657 kilometres of 153 roads in Sylhet and Suamganj have been submerged due to flood as the water of the river Surma and Kushiyara is still flowing above the danger level.

With the weather forecast indicating deterioration of the flood situation in the north-eastern region, the demand for relief is increasing in the affected areas of Sylhet and Sunamganj.

Water level in the Surma and Kushiyara rivers receding at four points provided some relief to people in flood affected areas of Sylhet and Sunamganj but they are afraid of more rain and long-term waterlogging.

The flood situation in Dowarabazar and Chhatak upazilas of Sunamganj has improved slightly as water started receding in different areas of the two upazilas.

As the Surma and the Kushiyara keep rising, more and more areas of Sylhet and Sunamganj are going under water every day and large number of flood victims suffering from scarcity of food and drinking water.

Over 50,000 families in the country’s north-eastern region are without electricity since Tuesday evening after a power station in Sylhet city was submerged by floodwater.

More than 200 houses of five unions in Bhuruingamari upazila of Kurigram district have been damaged as a nor’wester hit the upazila early today (May 18, 2022).

The flood situation in Sylhet has further deteriorated yesterday as the Surma and the Kushiyara rivers started flowing above the danger level.

With three major rivers -- the Surma, Kushiyara and Sari-Gowain -- swelling beyond the danger level, the flood situation in Sylhet district has worsened in seven upazilas and the Sylhet city area.

With the plan of planting palm trees to arrest lightning failing, the disaster management ministry is now taking up a project to set up shelter houses and arresters to curb deaths due to lightning strikes.

Sudden erosion by the mighty Jamuna river has devoured vast areas in four upazilas of Tangail in the last few weeks, adding to the worries of the riverside dwellers.

Cox's Bazar District Administration has taken preparations in advance to ensure safety of Rohingyas in the refugee camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas of Cox's Bazar as there is a forecast of cyclone "Asani" under the influence of low pressure in the Bay of Bengal.