NATIONAL
19 month old found dead among 2 children swept away by floodwaters in Cox’s Bazar; another remain missing
19-month-old found dead after two children were swept away by floodwaters in Cox’s Bazar; another child remains missing amid ongoing flood response gaps.
FATEMA BISWAS
Collected
BIONIC READING
In a Nutshell:
- Sujit Das, 12, went missing after being swept into a fish enclosure in Chakaria on 11 July; 19-month-old Mushfiqur Rahim's body was recovered in Pekua.
- Fire service personnel attempted a rescue for Sujit but could not proceed due to strong currents and the absence of divers; Chattogram's diver team has been notified.
- With this, the nationwide toll from floods, flash floods and landslides reaches 46, confirmed by Pekua's UNO Rafiqul Islam.
Why it Matters
This isn't an isolated accident. It's part of a week-long flood disaster in southeastern Bangladesh that has repeatedly claimed children's lives and pushed the national death toll to 46.
- Children have been disproportionately affected throughout this disaster, with multiple similar drownings reported in Chakaria and Pekua in recent days, pointing to a recurring pattern.
- The floods have left over a million people stranded and 267,918 households isolated across seven districts, with weakened rescue capacity, as seen here in the absence of divers, slowing response in remote areas.
- With rivers still flowing well above danger levels and more rain forecast, officials and aid groups warn the death toll and displacement could keep rising in the coming days.
Who it matters to
Behind the toll numbers are families and communities living with floodwater at their doorstep every day. This story speaks directly to parents, rescue workers, and anyone in a flood-prone area right now.
- Fire service teams reaching the scene without divers or the ability to act shows how thin rescue resources are stretched, raising questions about response capacity during a fast-moving crisis.
- With homes built right beside canals and fish enclosures that funnel floodwater through, residents here face risk by staying in their own neighbourhoods during major flood peaks.