Staff Reporter:
Nearly 11% of mobile towers in the 10 flood-affected districts of Bangladesh are out of service, with 92% of towers in Feni district alone non-operational.
The disruption is due to a lack of power and the submersion of tower areas, making it impossible to restore network connectivity.
According to the latest update from the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) as of 3pm on Friday, out of 13,240 towers in Feni, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Comilla, Brahmanbaria, Chittagong, Khagrachari, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, and Sylhet districts, 1,461 towers are currently down.
Specifically, 91.9% of the towers in Feni are out of service, followed by more than 21% in Noakhali, over 15% in Khagrachari, and nearly 14% in Comilla.
BTRC reports that efforts are underway with the assistance of the military to restore tower functionality in the affected areas.
However, restoration work cannot begin in submerged areas until the water recedes.
The situation in Feni is particularly challenging and time-consuming. Additionally, worsening flood conditions in Sylhet and Moulvibazar may further hinder communication restoration.
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief has reported that 11 districts are currently affected by floods, impacting around 4.5 million people.
Approximately 887,629 households have been waterlogged. Extensive rainfall and upstream water flow have inundated many areas in these districts.
