Helemul Alam

In Dhaka, rain comes as a call for chaos. Streets get submerged, water often invades homes in low-lying areas, and life in the capital slows to a frustrating crawl.

Is it a road or a lake? This is the question that commuters often ask themselves when they step into the streets of Dhaka even after a little drizzle.

The annual death toll from dengue so far crossed 500-mark yesterday, for the second year in a row.

Designed to rescue Dhaka from floods, water retention ponds are now in need of rescue themselves. These basins, meant for stormwater management, are shrinking rapidly due to encroachments, unplanned urbanisation, and government neglect.

Flood-flow zones, crucial for maintaining Dhaka's ecological balance, are rapidly vanishing, leaving the city increasingly vulnerable to waterlogging, loss of groundwater recharge, and potential flooding.

Once upon a time, boats would glide through the waters of Karwan Bazar. Laden with goods -- sacks of rice, fresh vegetables, timber, and pottery -- these boats would anchor at the dock near what is now the Film Development Corporation.

At first glance, Dayaganj in the old part of Dhaka appears to be a typical city street scene.

Throughout this month, we have published six reports on Dhaka's canals, detailing how these water bodies, once the lifeblood of the capital's drainage system, are now clogged, encroached upon, and reduced to narrow, polluted channels.

As Bangladesh braces for another year with the threat of dengue looming, experts have urged the government to adopt comprehensive and year-round strategies to curb the spread of the mosquito-borne disease.

The year 2023 was one of dengue devastation, breaking all previous records. As the new year approached, there was much discussion about improving the situation. However, it turned out to be all talk and no show, as dengue still claimed hundreds of lives in 2024.