Bangladeshi expatriates in the UAE are deeply worried about their families back in Bangladesh due to the severe monsoon floods that have devastated their homes and towns, with communication largely disrupted. The disaster, which has left nearly three million people stranded and claimed at least 13 lives, has caused widespread panic among families both in Bangladesh and the UAE. Akram, a 29-year-old resident of Sharjah, has been enduring sleepless nights. "For the past three days, I haven't been able to reach my family members back home," Akram expressed, his voice filled with concern. "The last update I got from them was about the heavy rain and rising water levels. Since then, all calls have failed. We are constantly checking our phones and news, but we have no idea if they are safe."
"The situation in my hometown is dire," Akram continued. "News reports indicate that entire neighborhoods have been flooded, forcing residents to evacuate with only the essentials." Ashraful Mubarak, a 34-year-old resident of Deira, is desperate to contact his family in Feni, a town heavily affected by the floods. "On August 21, my mother informed me that water had entered our home and they planned to move upstairs," Mubarak recounted. "But by August 23, when I tried to call again, their phones were unreachable."
Mubarak's anxiety escalated as he repeatedly tried calling, only to face silence. "I called everyone I knew in Feni, but no one answered," he said. "Finally, I managed to contact a grocer near my home. He assured me that my family was safe, but the entire neighborhood was underwater, and people were relocating with nowhere to go. He also mentioned that most phones in the town were lost in the floodwaters, making communication impossible."
For many, social media has become a crucial source of information. Sattar Karim, a 42-year-old restaurant owner in Ajman, has been constantly checking TikTok and Instagram for updates from his hometown of Cumilla. "In my town, there's still some mobile network, but most phones were damaged by the floodwaters," Karim explained. "Some residents with functioning phones are posting videos on TikTok and Instagram to update us abroad. Even the news channels are not providing current information. I have no idea about my family's condition. I just hope they are healthy."
Jasim Kabir, a facility management executive at a real estate firm in Dubai, shared that his family, like many others, has had to seek shelter with relatives as their home was flooded. "We are not receiving any aid," Kabir said. "There's no food, and the water is undrinkable. My family's home is destroyed, and they are currently staying with my aunt. Over 20 people are crammed into a two-bedroom house. As the water recedes, I don't know what they will do. There's nothing left," Kabir added. The catastrophic flooding in Bangladesh has left millions stranded, their homes and lives devastated by the deluge. For Bangladeshi expatriates in the UAE, the inability to connect with their loved ones has made this natural disaster a nightmare.
