Chattogram-Cox's Bazar highway returns to normal after 60hrs, Bandarban remains isolated

Traffic flow on the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar highway has been restored to its usual state after nearly 60 hours, as floodwaters receded, while the Chattogram-Bandarban road remains cut off.

"The water levels began decreasing yesterday [9 August] afternoon with a pause in rainfall. This morning, most sections of the highway saw the water recede, leading to normalised traffic," said Khan Mohammad Erfan, officer-in-charge (OC) of Dohazari highway police station.

"However, the Chattogram-Bandarban road connection is still closed," he added.

Engineer Ariful Islam, a resident of Bandarban, told The Business Standard, "My home is in Bandarban. There are hundreds of people including five of my family trapped there. I could not go to Bandarban despite trying for the last three days. I will try again today."

Over the past week, heavy rains and landslides inundated Satkania, Chandanish, and Lohagara upazilas of Chattogram, submerging critical points of the highway like Hashimpur, Koshaipara in Chandnaish, and Sankaniya's Keranihat, affecting road operations from Monday night to Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, the Bandarban district headquarters and its surrounding areas remain submerged, with road links cut off for various upazilas along with the main route.

Officials said around five lakh people are stranded in floodwaters across 15 upazilas, including Satkania, Lohagara, Chandanaish, Anowara, Boalkhali, Raujan, Rangunia and Hathazari.

So far, five people have died in Chattogram and Cox's Bazar from drowning and landslides. Besides, since Tuesday afternoon, four people, including three children, remain missing in Satkania following a boat capsize.

Meanwhile, fish from around 2,500 ponds and 4,000 hectares of shrimp enclosures in the flood-affected areas of Chattogram have been washed away by the floodwaters.