Despite at least 15 deaths over the past eight years, authorities in Chattogram have yet to implement meaningful safety measures to protect residents from the city’s open and unguarded drains and canals.
The most recent victim was a six-month-old girl, Sehris, who died after a battery-powered rickshaw overturned into an open drain submerged under stagnant rainwater in the Chawk Bazar area on Friday night.
Her body was recovered 14 hours later from Chaktai Khal, nearly five kilometres from the accident site.
Residents said waterlogging during rainstorms often conceals the open drains, turning roads into death traps.
Many blame the ongoing mega-development projects and the gross negligence of the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) and Chattogram Development Authority (CDA).
Witnesses said that Sehris' family was heading to visit relatives when their rickshaw fell into a submerged drain in the Kapasgola area. While the child’s mother and grandmother were rescued by locals, the infant was swept away.
A visit to Muradpur, Bohoddarhat, Chawk Bazar and Bakolia on Saturday revealed a dangerous picture – numerous open drains and canals still exposed, posing risks to passersby.
Salma Begum, a resident, was seen cautiously navigating a bamboo bridge across an open drain with her two children.
“People keep dying in these drains, but nothing changes,” she said in frustration.
Residents also point to the difficulty of distinguishing between roads and drains during waterlogging. “You cannot tell where the road ends and the drain begins,” said one resident.
Sadek Ullah Mahin, son of missing victim Saleh Ahmed, said his father fell into a drain in Muradpur in 2021. His body has never been found. “Authorities promised help, but no one came after the incident,” Mahin said.
CCC Deputy Chief Conservancy Officer Ranab Kumar Sharma acknowledged that of the city’s 1,600 km of drains and canals, two-thirds remain open and unprotected.
Advocate Akhtar Kabir, president of the Sacheton Nagorik Committee, Chattogram, accused the CCC and CDA of negligence and called for criminal charges.
“These deaths are not accidents—they are murders caused by failure of duty,” he said.
When contacted, CCC Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain said CDA is currently renovating several canals under a mega project aimed at mitigating waterlogging.
“We have begun placing bamboo barriers around exposed drains and canals. The work will be completed before the rainy season,” he said.
Dr Shahadat also noted that the increasing theft of manhole covers has worsened pedestrian safety. “We have asked law enforcement to take strict action,” he said.
CDA Chairman Md Nurul Karim stated that retaining walls have been built along 19 of 36 canals under development. However, the canal where the latest tragedy occurred—Hijra Khal—has seen no progress due to budget constraints. Over the years, many lives have been lost.
On 8 June last year, eight-year-old Saidul Islam, also known as Jasim, fell into a drain in Abidar Para. His body was later found in a canal.
In May 2023, college student Azizul Hakim Emon, 27, drowned in a canal amid heavy rainfall and gusty winds.
In August 2023, Navy personnel Mizanur Rahman died after falling into an open drain in Agrabad’s Badamtoli area.
Earlier incidents include the death of Kamal Uddin, a minor boy who fell into a canal near Sholoshahar Railway Station in December 2021. His body was recovered three days later.
In September of that year, Seherin Mahbub Sadia, a 19-year-old computer engineering student, fell into a drain in Agrabad and was found three hours later.
In August 2021, vegetable vendor Saleh Ahmed slipped into a waterlogged drain in Muradpur during heavy rain; his body was never found.
In June of the same year, auto-rickshaw driver Sultan and his passenger Khadiza Begum, 65, died when their vehicle plunged into a canal in Sholoshahar.
Courtesy: Daily Sun.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
