Everything gone in blink of an eye

Sahab Uddin, 60, a fisherman in Lakshmipur's Kamalnagar upazila, stares blankly at the ruins of what was once his home. The storm surge tore through his house and the homes of five other families living there, leaving them with nothing.

"Where will I go?" he pleads, his voice heavy with despair. "I have five daughters and one son to feed. We haven't eaten rice in two days."

The plight of Mukta, 15, is equally devastating. A few years ago, she lost her father to the unforgiving Meghna River. Now, Cyclone Remal has taken away her only remaining shelter. "I have no father, no land, and now no home," she cries.

The aftermath of Cyclone Remal has brought widespread devastation and heartache to communities along the coasts of Lakshmipur and Khulna. Families are grappling with the sudden loss of their homes, livelihoods, and sense of security as they face an uncertain future.

Lakshmipur struggles to cope 

The cyclonic storm caused extensive damage along the Meghna coast in Lakshmipur, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Witnesses describe the storm and tidal surge as unprecedented and terrifying. 

Entire communities lost everything in an instant. Visits to areas like Matabbarhat, Char Kalakini, and Islamganj in Kamalnagar upazila showed widespread devastation, including shattered houses and damaged infrastructure. 

Recovery efforts are underway, with locals busy repairing and relocating amid the destruction. Landslides and eroded embankments further compound the challenges faced by affected communities. Officials said that the administration is currently evaluating the extent of the damage.

Sakina Begum, 60, a resident of Matabbarhat, recounted how the river had swept her house three times before, only to face the same fate in the recent storm on Sunday.

"I stood in neck-deep water with my two sons and daughter from 4pm to 11pm. Most of our belongings were washed away, and now we have no rice to cook," Sakina said.

Farmer Md Ali said that he initially stayed home because he believed the nearby embankment would prevent water from entering. However, when the embankment collapsed, water flooded his house, reaching chest-deep levels.

"I first stood inside, then climbed onto the bed, but realising it was not safe, I swam to a shelter around 4pm. Returning the next morning, I found my home in ruins," Md Ali said.

Another resident Safiqul Islam said that he has two young children at home, as their mother has passed away. When the surge hit, their house filled with water up to chest height, so he carried the children on his shoulders.

He also mentioned they had no food at home, so they had to fetch food from outside, but no one had checked on them yet.
 
Khulna battles swollen waters

The situation in Khulna is no better. Dipali Sardar, 32, from Gopipagla village in Khulna's Paikgacha upazila described her plight after Cyclone Remal.

Her house is now under chest-deep water, and all their belongings, including rice, 60 chickens, and 5 cows, are lost. She is currently taking shelter on the road with her family.

"We clung to the house pillars during the storm. By morning, we saw the floodwaters rushing in, and before we could react, everything was gone. We quickly gathered some belongings and fled to safety in a boat," Dipali said.

Her husband, Pradip Sardar, said, "Our shrimp farm, our only source of income, was submerged in seconds. For two days, we have survived on dry food and saline water from the river. Despite having no shortages before, we lost everything in just 10 minutes."

The situation in Telikhali village, adjacent to Dipali's, is even more dire, with hundreds of houses heavily damaged by the storm.

"We have never experienced such a devastating loss before," said resident Enamul Gazi. "The residents are now sheltering on the road. Three families have lost everything and become destitute."

During Sunday night's storm, a 600ft section of the Bhadra River embankment in Telikhali broke, flooding the area and impacting nearby villages.

Dipika Sardar, a health assistant, said that the breach of the embankment has left at least 10,000 people in 13 villages homeless. There is no drinking water, and most people lack food. No one had checked on the village for the last two days until today when government officials started distributing some relief.

Paikgacha Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mahera Naznin said that relief had been dispatched to the affected area. However, it falls short in comparison to the extensive damage incurred. A formal request has been forwarded to higher authorities seeking additional relief aid.

This afternoon, thousands of residents gathered at the site in Telikhali where the embankment broke, attempting to stem the flow of water by constructing a makeshift embankment.

Abtab Uddin, engaged in repairing the embankment, said, "I leased five bighas of land and established a fish farm, putting in around Tk3 lakh. Unfortunately, the flood washed away everything, including all the fish.

"Despite this setback, I and other volunteers stepped up to repair the embankment to safeguard the other fish farms."

Rashiduzzaman, MP for Khulna-6, said, "The embankment, built by the Pakistan government in the 1960s with a projected lifespan of 20 years, has sadly gone unrepaired for the past 64 years. This neglect has led to recurrent flooding in certain areas.

"Since my election, I have been diligently working to build a resilient embankment in this region."