Temperatures have risen by more than 12% in recent weeks compared to the same period last year. The government imposed power cuts to cope with the increased demand for power. Muslims prayed for rain in the mosque, while a group of Christian women sang traditional songs and visited families.
Dhaka () – After two weeks of heat waves that are affecting several countries in South Asia, Christians and Muslims in Bangladesh prayed for rain. In recent days, several cities in the country have been registering the highest temperatures in the last 60 years: last week in the capital, Dacca, where it has not rained since April 3, it registered 40.6 degrees Celsius, while that yesterday the city of Ishwardi almost reached 43 degrees. According to official government data, the average maximum temperature in Dhaka increased by 4.3% from one week to the next and was 12.5% higher than the same period last year. Only in 1960 the mercury had exceeded 42 degrees in the capital. The highest temperature ever recorded in Bangladesh, at Rajshahi in 1975, was 45 degrees.
The large metropolises, where the number of trees is less, are the most affected by the consequences of extreme heat. Excluding shopping areas and public transport stations, for example, the movement of people was considerably reduced. Despite the fact that only the wealthiest Bangladeshis can afford air conditioning in their homes, the government was forced to impose power cuts to avoid shortages, in response to a 14% increase in electricity demand in recent weeks, which it is also motivated by the greater need for water to irrigate the fields.
Faced with this situation, yesterday in Kamolapur, in the Dharenda parish of the church of Saint Joseph in Dacca, a group of women and children prayed for rain: “God give us rain, give us water, give us shade. The sky is in pieces and the earth is broken”, was the text of the traditional song they sang. Next, the Christian women visited various houses and poured water on the people.
“Women and children ask God for rain with tears. Now nature has become rough and dry. We humans, birds, animals, trees, we are all suffering a lot from the heat wave,” she said. to Lovely Gomes, a teacher who led the prayer. “We want it to rain soon. Humans can drink water if we are thirsty, but the birds are not getting water and many of them are dying. Our sincere prayer to God is to give us rain so that we can all continue to live,” Gomes added.
Muslims in the Tejgaon area of Dhaka also prayed following the Koran’s teachings: “When it hasn’t rained for a long time, God says to pray for rain, so we all ask for it together,” he explained to Imam Al-Amin, from the local mosque. “In summer, the situation is sweltering. The temperature has been rising for several days. May Allah protect us,” he added.
