Army restores communication, rescues tourists amid floods, landslides in CHT

The Bangladesh Army is continuing its rescue, relief, evacuation, and communication restoration operations in coordination with the local administration, other security forces, and relevant government agencies to address the disaster caused by persistent heavy rainfall, flash floods, and landslides in the Chattogram Hill Tracts.

Army personnel are working to restore connectivity by removing soil and debris with the help of engineering equipment and heavy machinery after landslides and waterlogging disrupted road communication in different parts of the hill region, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a Facebook post early Friday.

They have also evacuated around 221 families living in areas at high risk of landslides to safer locations.

In addition, the Army has taken effective measures to rescue tourists stranded in remote areas. 

Of around 740 stranded tourists—140 in Bandarban and around 600 in Sajek—150 have been evacuated in the first phase with the assistance of the local administration.

Efforts are underway to relocate the remaining tourists in phases.

To ease the suffering of disaster-affected people, the Bangladesh Army is distributing cooked meals, dry food, safe drinking water and other emergency relief items in the affected areas, according to the ISPR. 

Besides, essential food supplies, including rice, lentils, edible oil and potatoes, are being distributed among affected hill communities and Bengali families, it added.