Feni, Bangladesh (CNN) — Millions of people in Bangladesh are stranded due to severe flooding, with many blaming neighboring India for releasing water from a dam without warning.

CNN reports that the floods have inundated 11 districts, submerging large swathes of the city of nearly 1.5 million people. The situation has been exacerbated by a lack of electricity and a near-total communications blackout.

The city of Feni in southeast Bangladesh has been described as the epicenter of one of the country’s worst floods in living memory. The flooding has taken many by surprise, and residents of Feni, which is close to the Indian border, have accused New Delhi of releasing water from the Dumbur dam in the neighboring state of Tripura with no prior warning.

India has denied that the dam release was deliberate, attributing the flooding to excessive rain and a power outage that prevented the usual warnings from being issued.

Devastation in Feni

The city of Feni is grappling with the aftermath of the floods, with rescue efforts being hampered by the lack of electricity and communication. The army and navy have been mobilized to coordinate relief operations, and volunteers from across the country are lending a hand. The only way in or out of the flood zone is by boat, as all main roads are cut off to vehicles.

Volunteer Abdus Salam, an English teacher from Dhaka, is one of many who have returned to their hometowns to search for family members. Twelve of his family members are stranded, including his sisters, brother, and their children. "I don’t know if they are alive,” he told CNN. “I’m crying lots of the time.” Salam's plea highlights the desperate situation faced by many families in the region.

Nearly 5 million people are impacted by the floods in Bangladesh, and at least 18 people have been killed. There are fears that the number could rise much higher as the floodwaters recede. In neighboring India, at least 26 people have been killed, and more than 64,000 people are seeking shelter in relief camps in the Tripura region.

Anger and Blame

Anger is rising among the flood victims in Bangladesh, with many blaming India for the source of the water that flooded their homes. Pranay Verma, India’s high commissioner to Bangladesh, told Bangladesh’s interim government that an “automatic release” occurred at the dam due to high water levels. However, some believe that politics played a part in the decision.

"India displayed inhumanity by opening the dam without warning,” said Nahid Islam, one of the two student representatives in Bangladesh’s interim government. The sentiment is shared by many in the region, who see the sudden release of water as a deliberate act. India’s Ministry of External Affairs stated that it is “factually not correct” to blame the flooding on water released from the Dumbur dam.

The ministry attributed the flooding primarily to water flowing from large catchment areas on the Gumti River, downstream from the dam. The statement emphasized the need for close mutual cooperation between India and Bangladesh to address shared problems related to flooding on common rivers.

Rescue and Relief Efforts

Rescue teams are working around the clock in the flood zone, where every operation is a huge logistical challenge. Boats are hard to come by, and families arriving to retrieve their relatives often cannot reach them. Yasin Arafat, who came from Dhaka to find his family, said there are 35 families clinging to a rooftop in his village, including two pregnant women. "They have no water, no food, and they’re very scared,” he said. “In the last 48 hours, I haven’t had any news.”

The main highway through Feni has turned into its main waterway and is being used as the central route for people to make it to dry land. Some people are wading through waist- or chest-high muddy water, risking water-borne diseases, snakes, or drowning to reach safety. For many others in the deepest parts of the flood, it’s impossible to try walking, so they are stranded in villages several kilometers from the city center.

Peyara Akther, 36, is trying to rescue her sister Tanzina and her sick newborn baby from the rural outskirts of the city. She said the 1-month-old hasn’t been eating for the past few days and needs to get to a doctor. "I’m worried the baby won’t make it,” Akther told CNN. However, after searching for an hour to make it to the school where she believes her sister might be sheltering, there’s no sign of them. Akther makes her way home, hoping her sister has found another way there.

Hope Amidst the Chaos

As rescue efforts continue into the night, the main hope in Feni is that the stranded people will survive long enough for aid to come or for the floodwaters to recede. A Feni-born man who works as a security guard at a hospital in Qatar flew back to Bangladesh when he heard what was happening in his hometown. He managed to source a boat in the hope of rescuing his 55-year-old mother, but her location was too remote to reach. Instead, he came to a shelter to retrieve other relatives.

The family of four - a mother, child, and grandparents - struggled into the boat, clambering up with the help of people on board. They were all exhausted and visibly hungry, devouring snacks of nuts and dried fruits and gulping down water. The rescue of this family represents a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos and destruction caused by the floods.

Lessons to learn from this tragedy

1. Comprehensive Disaster Preparedness: Regions prone to natural disasters must have robust systems for early warning and evacuation to mitigate impacts.
2. International Communication and Protocol: This incident underscores the need for clear communications between neighboring countries regarding dam operations and emergency planning.
3. Community Resilience Building: Investing in community awareness and resilience strategies ensures quicker recovery and less dependency on problematic cross-border water management.

While these strategies might reduce risk, they do not eliminate the possibility of unexpected natural disasters, and it's important to remember that no precaution can fully prevent such incidents.

Why this story matters

The Feni flooding incident highlights the complex interplay between natural disaster management and international relations. It serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities that exist at the crossroads of geopolitical interests and environmental unpredictability. Additionally, it draws attention to human rights and the need for timely communication to prevent such disasters in the future.

Conclusion

Millions of people in Bangladesh are stranded due to severe flooding, with many blaming neighboring India for releasing water from a dam without warning. The city of Feni has been described as the epicenter of one of the country’s worst floods in living memory. Rescue efforts are ongoing, with volunteers and military personnel working tirelessly to bring stranded families to safety. The situation is compounded by a lack of electricity and communication, making rescue operations even more challenging. Despite the devastation, there is hope that the stranded people will survive long enough for aid to come or for the floodwaters to recede.