Cyclone Bulbul may hit coastal belt with 5 to 7 feet high storm surge

Five to seven feet high storm surge may hit the coastal districts of Bangladesh under the influence of the very severe cyclone Bulbul.

"The wind speed may reach 120-140kmph when it hits the coastal belt," Senior Meteorologist of Bangladesh Meteorological Department Md Bazlur Rashid told The Business Standard. 

Bazlur Rashid said the cyclone might hit Bangladesh coast around Saturday evening.

The Sundarbans area, Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola and Pirojpur are likely to experience the hardest impact of the cyclone.

The cyclone will start to weaken once it makes the landfall.

State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md Enamur Rahman said the government has taken necessary preparations to tackle the impact of cyclone Bulbul.

A total of 14,000 packets of dry food and Tk35 lakh have been sent to the districts that are most likely to be hit by the cyclone, the minister said.

The Met Office asked maritime port of Chattogram to hoist distant warning signal number 6 and Mongla and Payra to show distant warning signal 7 as cyclone Bulbul approaches.

The Met Office also asked maritime port Cox's Bazar to hoist warning signal 4.

"The cyclone may hit Khulna-Barishal coastal belt of Bangladesh if it stays on its current path," Meteorologist Abul Kalam Mollick told the BBC.

Loading and unloading of goods from mother vessels at the outer anchorage of Chattogram port remain suspended, according to the Water Transport Cell and the Chittagong Port Authority. 

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) suspended all types of water transportation until further notice.

The Bangladesh Water Development Board has cancelled the weekly holidays of all its employees in the coastal districts.

Light or moderate rains are likely in Khulna, Chattogram, Dhaka, Rajshahi, Mymensingh and Sylhet till Monday.

The cyclone is very likely to intensify further by early morning of November 9. It is very likely to re-curve northeastwards and cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Sagar Islands (West Bengal) and Khepupara across the Sundarbans delta during the early hours of November 10 with a maximum sustained wind speed of 110-120 kmph gusting to 135 kmph, says the India Meteorological Department.

JSC, JDC exams for Saturday postponed

The Ministry of Education has postponed the Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) examination of Saturday as cyclone Bulbul approaches.

The postponed JSC exam will be held on November 12 and JDC exam will be held on November 14, a press release issued by the ministry confirmed.

National University postponed exams

National University has postponed all examinations for Saturday due to cyclone Bulbul. 

A press release issued by the university confirmed the matter on Friday night.

Constant rain in Khulna, Rashmela postponed

Khulna is experiencing constant rain as an effect of cyclone Bulbul in the Bay of Bengal.

Light to moderate rain has been persistent since Friday afternoon in the coastal district.

According to the Khulna Met Office, four millimetres of rain were recorded on Friday.

Local festival Rashmela in the Sundarbans' Dublar Char has been postponed due to adverse weather. As a result, six vessels carrying visitors to the fair from Khulna have turned back from Mongla, locals said.

The district authorities have opened 10 control rooms in Khulna and nine adjacent upazilas to avoid loss and damage from the looming storm.

An emergency meeting of the district Disaster Management Committee took place at the Khulna Circuit House conference room on Friday. All vacations of the government employees in the region have been cancelled and ordered to remain stationed until further notice.

Chattogram port temporarily stops loading activities

Chattogram port has shut down its loading activities temporarily this evening.

Besides, the Chittagong Port Authority has hoisted alert No 3 at the port following the Met Office advice.

The action has been taken to keep the port's jetties and goods along with loading and unloading equipment safe, said port Secretary Omar Faruq.

The vessels waiting in the port are being sent to the sea to avoid damage to be caused by the heavy waves created by cyclones.

3,000 shelter centres prepared to face Bulbul

The Chattogram district administration has taken all-out preparations to cope with any possible situation that might arise due to cyclonic storm Bulbul.

The district administration has kept 3,000 shelter centres prepared for people.  

The Chattogram City Corporation has started evacuation of people from the most vulnerable areas to safer places and nearby cyclone centres. 

City corporation officials are using loudspeakers, asking people to go to safer places.

Previously, the district disaster management committee held a meeting on cyclone preparedness on Friday evening at Chattogram Circuit House. 

Apart from opening control rooms in Dampara area of the port city, the volunteers and healthcare teams of the city corporation have also been asked to stay prepared, Public Relation Officer Md Rafiq told The Business Standard.

Cyclone Bulbul poses landslide risks for Rohingya refugees

As cyclone "Bulbul" brews within 500 kilometres of the coastal areas in southern Bangladesh, Cox's Bazar is reeling under the wrath of the cyclonic storm, with over 11 lakh Rohingya refugees residing in the district.

The low-lying parts of the district have already been inundated. Landslides, triggered by torrential rain, is feared to devastate the Rohingya camps and shanties soon.

The Cox's Bazar district administration has opened a control room and said it has finalized preparations to embrace the cyclone. A meeting of the district level disaster management committee was held on Friday afternoon. 

Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md Kamal Hosen briefed the press after the meeting. He said landslides may hit the Rohingya camps hard, and cyclonic storms may uproot the shanties.    

Meanwhile, the disaster management committee has prepared a total of 538 cyclone shelters in eight upazilas of the district. Multi-storied educational institutions have been instructed to remain open so that people can take shelter there. 

1200 tourists stranded at St Martin's Island  

St Martin's Island Union Parishad Chairman Noor Ahmed said as many as 1,200 tourists have been stranded at the island as the ferry service between Teknaf and St Martin's has been suspended.

A number of tourists who arrived on the island on Thursday opted to stay the night at the island. 

The district administration on Friday suspended the ferry service between the St Martin's Island and Teknaf.           

The chairman said the hotels at the island have been ordered to accommodate the stranded people until the cyclone passes through. 

The island has five cyclone shelters and a number of multi-storied buildings. 

"The guests will be shifted to those if required," added Noor Ahmed.             

Fishing boats returning to shore in Cox's Bazar  

Cox's Bazar Boat Owners Association General Secretary Abdul Khalek said most of the fishing boats have returned to shore. 

"A few boats are yet to come back," said Khalek, adding those will return by Friday midnight.       

It has been drizzling in Cox's Bazar since Thursday night. Local representatives from coastal Najirartek, Pekuar Mognama, Kutubdia Bhanga Beribadh, Moheshkhali's low-lying areas and Pokhkhali said high tides have inundated the areas.

Assistant meteorologist of the district weather office Abdur Rahman said the sea ports were asked to show the danger signal 4 till 6:00pm on Friday. The Bay of Bengal will remain rough and the danger signal may be raised further.

"Rain accompanied by the storm may trigger landslides," Abdur Rahman added.

Additional Police Superintendent of Cox's Bazar Iqbal Hossain said they are on alert so that law and order does not deteriorate during the disaster. 

He said the police stations and officers-in-charge have been instructed to remain vigilant.