Government relief has reached only a fraction of flood victims in Chattogram where more than 750,000 people have been affected by days of heavy rain and flash floods, raising questions over inadequate allocations, delayed distribution and a sluggish administrative response.
Residents in some of the worst-hit areas, particularly Banshkhali, claim nearly 80% of affected families have yet to receive any government assistance despite remaining stranded for days without adequate food, drinking water and shelter.
According to district administration figures, 754,590 people from 188,648 families have been affected across Chattogram. To support them, the government has allocated Tk85 lakh in cash, including Tk20 lakh from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund and Tk65 lakh from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, along with 700 tonnes of rice.
As of yesterday afternoon, authorities said Tk70 lakh worth of dry food and 610 tonnes of rice had been distributed. Based on the total number of affected people, the daily cash allocation amounts to about Tk11.6 per person, while the quantity of rice remains far below the estimated demand.
Eight consecutive days of heavy rainfall and upstream hill runoff inundated vast areas of the district. Banshkhali was among the hardest hit, with nearly 80% of the upazila submerged and around 100,000 residents trapped by floodwaters.
Houses, cropland, fish farms and roads went underwater, while power outages disrupted drinking water supplies and sanitation facilities, increasing health risks for affected families.
Mohammad Ansar, 55, from Madhyam Manik Pathar in Katharia union, said his family of 10 had remained marooned for five days after floodwaters submerged their house and warehouse.
Forced to take shelter on the staircase of a relative's home, they survived with limited support from volunteers.
"We have not received any government assistance so far. Only a few voluntary organisations have provided some relief," Ansar told TBS.
Another Katharia resident, Gias Uddin Azad, said he had not seen any government relief reaching the worst-affected parts of the union.
"Some private organisations and individuals have provided limited assistance, but there has been no visible government relief. Many families are living in inhumane conditions because of negligence and unequal distribution," he alleged.
Visiting the flood-hit areas revealed that although some families were receiving 10 kilograms of rice each, uncooked food offers little immediate relief when homes and kitchens remain submerged.
Victims said dry food, clean drinking water, medicine and temporary shelter are far more urgent than rice at this stage of the disaster. Yet they claim nearly four out of every five affected families have not received any government assistance.
Government officials said relief distribution is expanding as fresh allocations arrive.
Sanjit Chandra Sarkar, the designated government officer for Katharia union, said 250 families received 10kg of rice each on Monday and another 400 families would receive relief after the completion of beneficiary lists.
Meanwhile, volunteer groups say they have reached several remote communities before official relief.
Mohammad Borhan Uddin, who has been leading a 20-member volunteer team since the flooding began, said they had been distributing cooked meals, dry food and drinking water after collecting donations from residents.
"People in Khan Khanabad told us ours was the first relief to reach them. We heard similar stories in Gondamara and Puichhari. Hopefully government assistance will reach these areas during the recovery phase," he said.
Concerns have also been raised over the pace of the administration's response. Although heavy rainfall began on 5 July and floodwaters started rising rapidly from 7 July, critics say visible government action was delayed until later in the week.
Civil society representatives argue that timely intervention could have reduced the suffering of stranded residents.
Advocate Akhtar Kabir Chowdhury, general secretary of Sujan's Chattogram chapter, said relief delivered after floodwaters recede defeats its purpose.
"The problem is not a shortage of resources but poor preparedness, weak coordination and lack of accountability. Despite advance weather forecasts, timely action was missing," he said.
Local journalist Rahim Saikat also alleged that relief distribution was uneven, with accessible areas receiving aid first while remote communities remained neglected.
He claimed Katharia, one of the worst-hit unions, initially received no government allocation.
The administration, however, rejected the allegations.
Banshkhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Ruhul Amin said initial allocations were limited, making it impossible to cover all affected areas simultaneously.
He said additional supplies arrived in phases and around 100 tonnes of rice and nearly 10,000 packets of dry food have so far been distributed, alongside relief from private organisations.
Similar complaints have emerged from neighbouring Satkania where nearly 450,000 people were affected after 11 unions were inundated by floodwaters from the Sangu and Dolu rivers.
Residents in Keochia union said many affected families were yet to receive government relief. Officials attributed the delays partly to disrupted communications and difficulties identifying stranded households.
Victims from Banshkhali, Satkania and Lohagara upazilas alleged that nearly 80% of the total victims were yet to receive relief assistance from the government, forcing them to lead a miserable life.
Denying any administrative negligence, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mian said government officials had been working in the field since the onset of the disaster.
He urged residents to report any areas where relief had not yet reached, reiterating that the administration's goal is to ensure assistance reaches every affected household.
Flood Relief
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