2007 in Bangladesh


The year 2007 was the 36th year after the independence of Bangladesh. It was also the first year of the regime of the fourth caretaker Government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed.

Incumbents

Climate

Flood

In 2007 a series of floods impacted South Asia including Bangladesh.
On 1 August, there was flooding on the Padma and Brahmaputra rivers. By 3 August, the main highway connecting Dhaka to the rest of the country was impassable, many districts were flood-affected and 500,000 people had been marooned. By 7 August an estimated 7.5 million people had fled their homes. By 8 August more than 50,000 people had diarrhoea or other waterborne diseases and more than 400,000 people were in temporary shelters.
As of 21 July, the flood impacted districts included Dhaka, Munshiganj, Rajbari, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Manikganj, Netrakona, Jamalpur and Tangail in Dhaka division; Magura and Narail in Khulna division; Sirajganj, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Bogra and Kurigram in Rajshahi division and Sylhet, Sunamganj and Sherpur in Sylhet division. By 11 August, flood deaths were still occurring in Bangladesh, the number of people with flood-related diseases was increasing and about 100,000 people had caught dysentery or diarrhoea. By 13 August, the confirmed death toll in Bangladesh was 405. By 15 August, five million people were still displaced, the estimated death toll was nearly 500, and all six of Bangladesh's divisions were affected.

Cyclone

An extremely severe tropical cyclone, named Cyclone Sidr resulted in one of the worst natural disasters in Bangladesh this year. Sidr formed in the central Bay of Bengal, and quickly strengthened to reach peak 1-minute sustained winds of 260 km/h, making it a Category-5 equivalent tropical cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. The storm eventually made landfall in Bangladesh on November 15, 2007, causing large-scale evacuations. At least 3,447 deaths have been blamed on the storm, with some estimates reaching 15,000.
Save the Children estimated the number of deaths associated with the cyclone to be between 3,100 and 10,000, while the Red Crescent Society reported on November 18 that the number of deaths could be up to 15,000. Other aid agencies have estimated a death toll of up to 15,000. International groups pledged US$95 million to repair the damage, which was estimated at $1.7 billion.
Coastal districts of Bangladesh faced heavy rainfall as an early impact of the cyclone. Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh experienced drizzle and gusty winds. Total damages came close to $450 million. The damage was extensive, including tin shacks flattened, houses and schools blown away and enormous tree damages. Some local officials have described the damage as being even worse than that from the 1991 cyclone. The entire cities of Patuakhali, Barguna and Jhalokati District were hit hard by the storm surge of over 5 meters. About a quarter of the world heritage site Sunderbans were damaged. Researchers said mangrove forest Sunderban will take at least 40 years to recover itself from this catastrophe.
Much of the capital city of Dhaka was also severely affected, as electricity and water service were cut and significant damage was reported there due to winds and flooding. The local agricultural industry was also devastated, as many rice crops — which have a December harvest — were lost.
At least 3,447 deaths have been reported. Highest estimated death toll is around 15,000. The hardest-hit area was Barguna, where 423 people were reported to have been killed, according to local officials. Patuakhali was also hard-hit, with 385 deaths reported. Most of the deaths confirmed thus far were due to the winds, although 13 of them have been as a result of capsized boats in the Faridpur district of Bangladesh. The head of the Red Crescent in Bangladesh expected the death toll to reach as high as 15,000. Over 3,000 other fishermen were reported missing on over 500 fishing boats. The maximum estimated death toll from Sidr in the densely populated region is over 15,000.

Economy

Note: For the year 2007 average official exchange rate for BDT was 68.87 per US$.

Events