The horrors, haunting memories, and devastating impact of the cyclonic storm and tidal surge that struck Bangladesh on April 29, 1991, were recalled today.
Various socio-cultural and political organizations in Chattogram organized a day-long program to commemorate the destruction and loss of lives and property caused by the catastrophic cyclone that struck the southeastern region of the country on that fateful night.
On this day in 1991, a powerful cyclone hit Bangladesh, claiming more than 135,000 lives. Despite ample warnings and shelter provisions established after a deadly storm in 1970, the disaster remained one of the most devastating of the 20th century.
The term "cyclone" refers to hurricane-type storms originating in the Indian Ocean, while similar storms are called "typhoons" in the Pacific and "hurricanes" in the Atlantic. Cyclone 2B, as this storm was designated, was tracked for a week as it moved northward through the Bay of Bengal before making landfall on April 29.
The search for victims took weeks, with the estimated death toll ranging between 135,000 and 145,000 people.
The cyclone destroyed approximately one-and-a-half million homes, wiped out a million livestock, and caused severe crop losses, leading to a critical risk of starvation among survivors.
