There is no doubt that the government’s preparedness has significantly curtailed the amount of destruction that Cyclone Amphan has caused to the vulnerable communities across the nation’s coastline, and we commend them for their swift actions.
But the reality is that many still suffered greatly as the weakening cyclone left a trail of destruction in its wake, killing at least nine people and destroying thousands of houses in the process.
But the damage caused by the cyclone is not one which we can immediately assess and definitely not one which can be easily quantified.
One such example is the shrimp-crab farming export industry, which has been affected tremendously by the storm, washing away thousands of farms, leaving farmers without a sustainable means of survival.
Another is that of the animals which inhabit the Sundarbans, who remained vulnerable to the devastating cyclone, as there is currently no infrastructure in place to protect them.
Not to mention unfathomable miseries of the people living in char areas, who found themselves surrounded by a rising levels of water, with nowhere to run or find shelter.
Despite that, we are thankful that the death toll was not higher, and offer our condolences to those whose lives were shattered as a result of the cyclone.
Bangladesh is already living through one nightmare -- that of the coronavirus pandemic -- and to then be hit by a supercyclone like Amphan only serves to make a bad situation much worse.
But we have pulled through much worse in our short history, and we can do so again. This should, additionally, serve as a lesson on how we can prepare even better in the future when the time comes.
At this juncture, it is up to us to offer the necessary support and aid to those whose lives were affected in the cyclone, so that they may not suffer more than they already have.
