Despite the allocation of Tk 1,483 crore for various waterlogging mitigation projects in Khulna, the situation has worsened rather than improved. Even a one-hour downpour is enough to flood the city’s major roads.
Due to a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal, now transformed into a land depression, Khulna has experienced continuous rainfall for three days. This has brought life in the city to a standstill. Heavy waterlogging has severely affected areas like the Khulna Technical Training Center, Women’s Training Center, and the entrance and fields of the Government T-Search Training College and Higher Secondary Teacher Institute.
At Govt. Laboratory High School, knee-deep water has accumulated on the playground. Khanjahan Ali Road near UNICEF Children’s Park, Baitipara Mor, Mujmunni, Bastuhara, and various areas in Ward 31 are submerged. Residents are forced to wade through knee-high water, while vehicles cautiously navigate flooded streets.
Sources from the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) report that out of approximately 1,215 roads in the city, most are submerged whenever it rains.
To address the city’s waterlogging, the KCC began drainage construction and repair projects in the 2018-19 fiscal year at a cost of Tk 823 crore. Additionally, Tk 660 crore has been spent on road repairs and development. Despite these massive expenditures over the past five years, there has been no improvement in the waterlogging situation.
The city’s residents live in constant fear of waterlogging whenever it rains, a problem that has persisted for years despite the vast amounts of money spent to resolve it. Frustrated locals argue that instead of resolving the issue, these funds have been wasted.
Many locals expressed anger, stating that over the past five years, one project after another has been undertaken to improve roads and drainage infrastructure, with the goal of facilitating mega looting. These efforts have failed, and water drainage has worsened due to ongoing construction work, leading to increased flooding.
Advocate Mohammad Helal Hossain, founder director of Uni Vision, criticized the lack of effective solutions, stating that despite hundreds of crores spent on waterlogging, there has been no progress. He alleged that former mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque, while publicly threatening contractors during project supervision, was actually part of the problem. Allegedly, Khaleque had ties to contractors and was personally benefiting from the projects. He claims this was part of a larger scheme where previous governments used public funds for personal gain, leaving citizens helpless.
Sheikh Md. Nasir Uddin, president of the Khulna Metropolitan Branch of Nirapad Sarak Chai (Safe Roads Movement), voiced similar frustrations. He blamed the Awami League, which governed for over 15 years, accusing its leaders and contractors of siphoning off millions through development projects. According to him, many of these projects never saw completion, and the city remains waterlogged despite spending hundreds of crores on drainage projects. He commented that it seems all the money has gone “down the drain,” as even a brief rain results in flooded streets across Khulna.
KCC’s Chief Conservancy Officer, Anisur Rahman, acknowledged the problem, stating that the incomplete drainage work is causing waterlogging. He explained that water recedes when the river tide ebbs, but during high tide, rain leads to severe waterlogging. He added that the drainage projects are based on plans made by the previous mayor, but the KCC is now revising these plans and will discuss the new strategies with all stakeholders.