Photo : BSS

BHOLA, May 29, 2025 (BSS) – As the low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal is gradually developing into a strong cyclone in the district since Wednesday night, heavy rain and cyclone winds are blowing here since early this morning .

Launch and ferry movement on all routes in the country along Bhola has been suspended due to the turbulent river.

BIWT's Bhola Port Officer Riyad Hossain told BSS that the roof of the terminal of the Elisha river port was blown away by the strong cyclone. The pontoon was damaged. 

He said that launch movement on all river routes along the district will remain suspended until the weather improves. 

Meanwhile, a large area has been flooded after the embankment of Hakimuddin Bazar in Borhanuddin upazila of the district was breached by a strong tidal current.

There have been reports of extensive damage to the embankment in Kalatali of Monpura, an isolated island upazila of the district. 

Locals said that the Tajumuddin upazila town protection embankment broke and water entered the locality, causing extensive damage to houses and cropland. 

The Bhola Water Development Board authorities said that they are monitoring the overall situation of the embankments in various upazilas of the district.

Deputy Commissioner Md. Azad Jahan told BSS that they have opened a control room to assess the overall disaster and damage caused by the storm. 869 shelter centers and 14 mud forts have been prepared in the district to deal with this storm.

In addition, 13,800 volunteers including CPP and Red Crescent have been kept ready along with 97 medical teams. 

He said that a three-stage preparation have been made to deal with the storm before the disaster, during the disaster and after the disaster.

In addition, dry food and rice were kept ready and the leave of government officials has also been canceled. 

Preparations are being made to bring the people living on isolated coastal islands to safety. Around 291 metric tons of rice and 1500 packets of dry food and baby food have been stockpiled. 

Officials at various levels of government departments including the police, coast guard, naval police, fire service have been kept on alert. 

The DC also said that maximum preparations are in place to reduce the damage in the disaster and deal with the storm. 

District Meteorological Department Director Md. Moniruzzaman told BSS that there is a warning signal number three in the Bhola coastal area today. The district has recorded 23.6 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours.