The prevailing cyclone 'Remal' has impacted nearly four lakh people in Khulna, damaging over 50,000 homes, uprooting trees, and breaking electric and telephone poles.
The storm also caused a wind-driven surge that flooded a vast area of the Sundarbans and embankments in low-lying regions, officials said.
"At least four lakh people from 68 unions in nine upazilas of Khulna have been affected by 'Remal'," said District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Md Abdul Karim.
"Hundreds of shrimp enclosures have been washed away, a large number of thatched houses and standing crops were damaged, and trees, electricity, and telephone poles were uprooted. Many villages were also submerged by the tidal surge," he added.
The Khulna District Administration, Mongla Port Authority, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) of Mongla West Zone, Fire Service, and Civil Defence are working to rehabilitate the affected coastal communities.
As part of the immediate response, over 2 lakh people were successfully evacuated and moved to 604 cyclone centres before 'Remal' hit the region, said Khondokar Yasir Arefin, the deputy commissioner of Khulna,
More than 5,500 volunteers from various organisations, including the Red Crescent and Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP), are working in different areas.
Additionally, 1,100 volunteers from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are assisting, along with 168 medical teams providing health services in cyclone-affected upazilas.
Abdul Karim said that the "fear of major disaster" due to the severe cyclonic storm is mostly over, as the district administration took appropriate precautionary measures to manage the disaster.
In some areas, fallen trees have halted traffic but no casualties have been reported, though a few people were injured in coastal areas, he added.
Karim also reported that approximately 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of rice, Tk5 lakh in cash, and 2,000 packets of dry food have been distributed in Koyra, Dakop, and Paikgachha upazilas.
The operation of Mongla port has resumed, said Md Makruzzaman, Secretary of Mongla Port Authority (MPA).
"No damage occurred as the port authority had taken massive preparation earlier," he added.
Speaking to BSS, Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Sundarban West, said the extent of damage in the Sundarbans could not be immediately determined.
Water Development Board (WDB) officials reported that around 61 kilometres of embankments in Khulna, Satkhira, and Bagerhat have been partially damaged.
Hundreds of villages in Koyra, Paikgachha, and Dakop upazilas of Khulna were flooded due to heavy rain and saline water intrusion caused by breaches in embankments at several points, confirmed Sub-divisional Engineer Liakat Ali of WDB.
UNO of Koyra Tarik Uzzaman and UP Chairman Abdullah Al Mamun of Bedkashi in Koyra said villagers are voluntarily working to repair the embankments to prevent further saline water intrusion.
Electricity supply was disrupted in various coastal villages at the time of this report.
