How August's 'volunteer' vanguards sent out 191 trucks to 11 flood-hit districts
In late August, it took a few days for 2,500 people from all walks of life to gather at the Dhaka University campus and lend a hand to perhaps the largest collective volunteer effort in the country to send aid to flood victims
Last month, a massive flood swept across Bangladesh in the wake of a recent mass uprising.
At the time, the newly appointed interim government was already struggling with multiple challenges, including but not limited to restoring law and order and reopening educational institutions.
Just as these efforts were taking shape, the natural disaster struck.
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Against the backdrop of this disaster, a remarkable scene unfolded in Dhaka – an unprecedented community response. Volunteers quickly got on their feet and swarmed like bees from different parts of Dhaka and beyond – driven by a collective urge to serve the nation.
The army of volunteers made up the largest collective effort in the country's recent history superseding what we had seen earlier in the aftermaths of the Rana Plaza collapse, other floods and the Bongo Bazar fire.
This was a direct response to the student leaders' (from the Students Against Discrimination movement) announcement on 21 August.
From Dhaka University's TSC, the students called volunteers for a large-scale relief effort; operations began the following day.
Approximately 2,500 people, from seventh-grade students to a 55-year-old man, answered the call and worked tirelessly for 14 consecutive days. "It was absolutely unbelievable," said Faisal Ahmed, a Dhaka University student and the volunteer team leader.
The floods, which hit eastern Bangladesh—devastating areas like Feni, Cumilla, Noakhali and Lakshmipur—claimed 23 lives and affected over 5.7 million people. Around 1.24 million families were stranded across 11 districts, cut off by relentless monsoon rains and swollen rivers.
The relief efforts sent out aid and reached all the 11 districts hit by floods.
Volunteers poured in
On 22 August morning, relief started to pour in at TSC.
At 9:07 AM, the first bag arrived. A 30-year-old man arrived on a rickshaw, delivering a sack of essential items like dry food, dates and water. "We designated TSC's games room to store the donated items," said Faisal.
"In just 30 minutes, half of the room was filled with relief supplies," Faisal recalled. The room in question is approximately 3,500 square feet in size.
Items like muri (puffed rice), chira (flattened rice), biscuits, baby food and clothing were put together into a package and kept in piles.
The 15-20 volunteers, at the time, looked at each other — questioning whether they could handle it if relief coming in at this rate. They decided then to post on Facebook to recruit more volunteers.
By evening, an overwhelming 1,200 volunteers joined. By the fourth day, over 2,500 volunteers worked at three spots: TSC, Dhaka University Gymnasium and Ducsu Cafeteria.
People from all walks of life – from students to rickshaw pullers, day labourers, hijras (the third gender), and even professionals over 40 – volunteered.
A seventh-grade student named Omor from Moghbazar stayed for four days. He did not return home at night to rest. "We got to know about him only on the fourth day when his family searched for him," said Faisal.
Every night, around 80 to 90 volunteers stayed at TSC, some coming from as far as Gazipur, Mymensingh, Netrakona, Savar and Shariatpur. Many of these volunteers worked tirelessly, some even using the last of their money to commute.
Faruk, a volunteer from Araihazar in Narayanganj, became particularly attached to the effort. "I stayed here all 14 days. Even now when the work is done, I come to visit the place. Today [18 September] I have come with my wife and three-year-old son," said Faruk.
"No one needed to be taught what to do," said Faisal Ahmed, a Dhaka University student and the volunteer team leader, adding "Volunteers arrived, observed and quickly understood how they could help."
The mechanics of the well-oiled machine
Volunteers were working with a wide range of tasks, from managing traffic around TSC and queuing up cars delivering relief supplies to sorting, packing and loading them onto trucks.
Another team handled cash donations.
This was a tall order. "As the need grew, we made a lot of decisions on the spot. We split the volunteers into groups and designated leaders for each," said Faisal.
Managing the "supply chain" was a major task. Abu Huraira, also known as Oshan, joined the effort when he saw his juniors taking on the enormous task and became responsible for managing the supply chain.
He organised teams for stockpiling, packaging and loading the relief trucks, which was a logistical challenge with volunteers struggling, initially.
Volunteers also received help from Akij Group, which donated 25,000 empty cement bags to package the relief supplies. At one point, the volunteers had to form a human chain, with 200 people passing relief supplies from the TSC gate to the games room, cafeteria and trucks.
"Each person stood at a designated post in the chain, making the process incredibly smooth," Faisal recalled.
Inside TSC, the cafeteria was divided into two zones: half used for storage, and the other half for sealing packets. Abir was in charge of packing the relief packets while Mamun supervised truck loading.
Teams also worked in the gymnasium and the Ducsu cafeteria to keep up with the influx of donations. The trucks, provided by BRTC and other companies like Matador, were loaded with 800 to 1,200 relief packets each — including food and water for livestock.
Oshan, responsible for overseeing the loading, kept track of the number of packets in each truck. However, a debate arose when some students managing their own trucks wanted to take relief supplies to flood-affected areas.
Oshan emphasised that trust was crucial. "The trucks we hired—we knew their identities, had connections with the owners, and trusted them," he told TBS.
Meanwhile, Shafayet Hossain, a Master's student at Dhaka University, ensured that essential items were loaded onto each truck.
Inside the games room, 200 volunteers worked at any given time, with journalists and visitors kept out to avoid disruptions and ensure privacy for the female volunteers working in the sweltering heat.
Challenges and lessons learned
Despite the overwhelming response, the volunteers faced numerous challenges, mainly due to the lack of pre-planning for an operation of such a huge scale.
"We initially managed around 500-600 empty bags for packaging," said Faisal. The influx of volunteers was also unexpected: "The number of volunteers was so overwhelming that at one point, we had to lock the TSC gate," Faisal added.
The heat inside the rooms where relief goods were sorted was unbearable, even with additional fans. Three volunteers suffered heatstroke, though they returned the next day.
Faisal wished they could have provided cold water but it was not feasible given the scale of the operation.
Another challenge was managing the washroom facilities, which broke down at one point due to the large number of volunteers. TSC management responded by providing permanent cleaners to maintain the facilities, helping to alleviate the problem.
Inventory management was also difficult. Supplies frequently ran out without anyone noticing, and truck deliveries were not always scheduled in advance.
"If I had to do this again, I'd start by organising the chain management better and keeping better track of the supplies," Faisal reflected. Nevertheless, the team quickly adapted, dividing tasks and assigning team leaders to streamline the operation.
"No one needed to be taught what to do," Faisal noted. "Volunteers arrived, observed and quickly understood how they could help."
The relief effort dispatched 191 trucks of supplies, along with additional aid sent via government and non-government helicopters. Despite the initial chaos, the experience highlighted how collective action could overcome enormous challenges.
For future efforts, Faisal emphasised that better inventory and truck management, as well as improved planning for volunteer facilities, would be crucial for smoother operations. However, the success of the operation was ultimately due to the spontaneous, dedicated efforts of all the volunteers.
"Even if I list the key volunteers, it would fill your article," said Faisal, expressing deep gratitude to everyone who tirelessly and unconditionally contributed, adding, "Thank you."
