Seventeen years after Cyclone Aila struck on May 25, 2009, the coastal residents of Satkhira in southwestern Bangladesh continue to suffer from its long-lasting devastation. The cyclone destroyed homes, farmland, and fisheries, leaving thousands destitute. In Gabura Union of Shyamnagar upazila, one of the worst-hit areas, at least 39 people died and over 243,000 were displaced. Many families still live on government land near embankments, facing acute shortages of drinking water and employment.
Repeated cyclones such as Amphan in 2020, Bulbul, and Rimal in 2024 have deepened the crisis, with May now seen as a month of fear for coastal communities. Despite ongoing embankment repairs, many areas remain at risk of collapse. Around 30–35 percent of residents in Gabura and Padmapukur unions have become landless, and over 500 families live on river chars. Local leaders report that most roads damaged by Aila remain unrestored.
Authorities have declared Gabura a model union, with a 10.2 billion taka project underway to build sustainable embankments and promote afforestation. Yet residents question how many more disasters must come before their lives become secure.
জিএম মনিরুজ্জামান, শ্যামনগর (সাতক্ষীরা) প্রকাশ : ২৫ মে ২০২৬, ১৮: ০৮ ১৭ বছর পেরিয়ে গেছে। তবুও ২০০৯ সালের ২৫ মের সেই বিভীষিকাময় দিনটির কথা ভুলতে পারেনি সাতক্ষীরার উপকূলের মানুষ। ঘূর্ণিঝড় আইলার তাণ্ডবে দেশের দক্ষিণ-পশ্চিম উপকূল মুহূর্তেই পরিণত হয়েছিল ধ্
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