Three upazilas of Feni—Phulgazi, Parshuram, and Chhagalnaiya—have been hit hard by severe flooding, affecting over 132 villages and displacing hundreds of thousands of residents. Roads, homes, and infrastructure remain submerged, with many still in search of safe shelter.
One man died in Phulgazi while fishing in the floodwaters.
According to damage assessments presented at a meeting at the deputy commissioner’s office on Saturday, 49 families have lost everything and are now taking refuge in neighbours’ or relatives’ homes. Some are even sheltering under makeshift plastic and bamboo tents under the open sky.
Local project implementation officials reported that 20 houses in Phulgazi and 28 in Parshuram were completely washed away. With an estimated loss of Tk 2 lakh per house, the total damage from these 48 homes is around Tk 1 crore.
In addition, 495 houses in Phulgazi, 304 in Chhagalnaiya, and 69 in Parshuram were partially damaged, causing losses worth an estimated Tk 8 crore.
During a visit to Phulgazi on Sunday, Hossne Ara Begum of Uttar Daulatpur was found sitting on her ruined homestead. Preparing to cook inside a small nearby structure, she recounted her loss.
“It feels like a nightmare,” she said. “One flood has taken everything from me. I couldn’t save anything. I took shelter at a centre with my three young children. We returned after a week. I don’t even know how to start rebuilding our home. No government rehabilitation efforts have reached us yet,” she told Times of Bangladesh.
Water from the Muhuri, Kahua, and Silonia rivers continues to flow above the danger level. Over 67 villages in Phulgazi’s Sadar Union, Anandapur, Munshirhat, and Amzadhat Unions remain underwater.
On Monday night, around 10:00 pm, four friends including Raju, son of Mizanur Rahman of Dakshin Sripur, went fishing near a breached embankment. Raju was swept away by the strong current. Locals rescued him and rushed him to Phulgazi Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead.
In Parshuram, more than 44 villages, including those in Mirzanagar, Chitholia, Boxmahmud, and the municipal area, remain flooded. In Chhagalnaiya, over 15 villages in Pathannagar, Radhanagar, and Shubhopur Unions are inundated.
In addition, nine villages in Feni Sadar and two in Daganbhuiyan are also submerged. Roads, ponds, and croplands have gone underwater. In some places, floodwater has reached rooftops and tin sheds of houses.
As waters recede, many are still searching for shelter. Local administration and various voluntary organisations are working on relief efforts. Riverbank erosion has been reported at 41 points—22 in Parshuram and 19 in Phulgazi—since early July.
Phulgazi Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Fahria Islam said, “Housing and other sectors have suffered. We’re compiling a list of affected people. Action will be taken once we receive instructions from the ministry. NGOs and other organisations have provided some financial aid, but no government rehabilitation plan has been launched yet.”
Feni Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam said, “A proposal has been sent to the government for rehabilitation of flood victims. Nearly one lakh people have been affected. Once we receive directives, the rehabilitation programme will begin.”
The total damage from this year’s flood in Feni stands at Tk 146.43 crore. This includes Tk 38.07 crore in agriculture, Tk 8.71 crore in fisheries, Tk 65 lakh in livestock, Tk 90 crore in roads, and Tk 9 crore in water development infrastructure.
In comparison, last year’s devastating flood in 2024 damaged 70,415 semi-pucca and mud houses, furniture, and electrical items, totalling an estimated loss of Tk 533.59 crore. That flood left 7,350 families completely homeless and partially damaged 56,065 homes.