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Relentless monsoon rains have plunged Chattogram into chaos, with widespread waterlogging disrupting daily life and leaving residents, especially HSC examinees, struggling with immense hardship.
The people of the port city have been experiencing intermittent rainfall since Monday morning due to the active monsoon that disrupted their normal life.
The downpour began around 7:00 am and continued until 10:30 am without any pause, causing severe waterlogging in many low-lying areas including Mehedibagh, GEC intersection, Chawkbazar, Muradpur, Badurtala, Boro Garage, Sirajuddaula Road, Gate No-2, Agrabad, Boropol, Halishahar, Dewanhat, Katalganj, Reazuddin Bazar, Tinpool, Jamal Khan and Probortok Mor.
Locals said rickshaw and CNG auto-rickshaw drivers are charging double fares, taking advantage of the situation.
Many HSC candidates were seen walking to their exam centres due to a lack of transport.
Others, however, managed to find vehicles midway but arrived late.
Many parents said they had to pay extra fares to ensure their children reach exam centres on time.
A resident of the Kapasgola area said, “I had to take a CNG for my daughter. The driver demanded double the usual fare. I had no choice but to agree.”
Shahnur Sultana, an officer at a private bank in Kazir Dewri, said she reached her office an hour and a half late due to the rain-induced traffic standstill.
Sumaiya Akter, a resident of Chawkbazar, said, “I left home for my exam in the rain. As soon as I stepped outside, I saw the streets flooded. There were no rickshaws and those I found were asking for double fares.”
Shahriar, a student who came to sit for his exam at Government Women's College, said, “I left home with an umbrella, but as soon as I got off the vehicle, the downpour soaked me completely. This kind of heavy rain makes an umbrella useless. Now I have to sit for the exam in wet clothes.”
The Met office recorded 56.6 mm of rainfall in 24 hours till 9:00 am on Monday in the port city.
The Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) claims that waterlogging has become less prolonged than in previous years, with water receding within a few hours in most areas after the rain stops.