‘I have lost everything’: Bangladesh floods strand 1.24 million families
Al Jazeera
As floodwaters recede after heavy monsoon rains, many have lost their homes – and some blame India for a dam release.
Dhaka, Bangladesh – Ekramul Haque was stunned when his uncle called him late in the afternoon of August 21 to inform him that floodwaters had inundated their ancestral home in southeastern Bangladesh’s Feni district, close to the Indian border.
At the time, Haque was about 10km (6 miles) away in the town of Mirsarai in the Chattogram district, where he lives with his wife and children.
The next day, it took 40 minutes travelling by minibus in the downpour to reach his village.
“I rushed back to my home the next morning amidst torrential rain. By the time I arrived, knee-deep water had already entered and soaked everything,” the 29-year-old recounted. “I urged my extended family to come with me to Mirsarai.”
His parents and one uncle returned to Mirsarai with him.
