Bangladesh: Battles Rising Lightning Deaths, Focus Shifts to Community Action and Infrastructure Gaps

As Bangladesh faces a deadly start to the year, with 34 lightning-related fatalities already reported, pressure is mounting on authorities to deliver not just early warnings but also practical solutions to protect vulnerable communities.

The tragic deaths of two schoolboys—13-year-old Fahad Hossain and 14-year-old Mohammad Jihad—who were struck by lightning while flying kites in Barura, Comilla, on April 28, have sparked national grief and renewed scrutiny over the effectiveness of current preventive measures. Their untimely demise occurred on a day when 15 people across nine districts lost their lives in similar incidents, underscoring the persistent and pervasive threat of lightning across Bangladesh.

Since 2011, lightning strikes have killed at least 3,845 people in the country, with farmers—often caught in open fields during harvest—making up the majority of the victims.

In 2016, the government declared lightning a natural disaster, prompting reforestation drives, awareness campaigns, and attempts to build early warning infrastructure. However, progress has been uneven.

“Despite technological strides, our warnings are often not reaching those most at risk,” admitted SM Kamrul Hasan of the Meteorological Department.

His department’s lightning alert system, capable of providing 10–30 minutes’ notice, was activated for the first time this year on April 17 across 27 districts. Yet communication gaps remain, especially in rural and marginalized areas.

Farooq-e-Azam, an advisor to the Ministry of Disaster Management, stressed the need for immediate outreach. “We are working to integrate mobile phone alerts, tower broadcasts, and community warning systems. But we must act faster,” he said.

In response, the government has increased collaboration with NGOs, deploying more than 80,000 volunteers from the Red Crescent, Scouts, and local disaster response teams to spread awareness, particularly before the monsoon season intensifies in June.

More than half of Bangladesh’s thunderstorms occur between June and September, with lightning hotspots including Sylhet, Rangpur, and Mymensingh.

Experts argue, however, that alerts alone may not suffice. “For a farmer in the middle of harvesting, a warning might not change behavior unless paired with viable alternatives or shelter strategies,” said disaster expert Gauhar Naeem Wara. Tree planting, particularly fast-growing species like kadam, could offer protective barriers in open fields.

Lightning researcher Kabirul Bashar of the Safety from Storm and Thunder Activity Foundation (SSTAF) agrees. “We need to reforest wisely, plant trees near agricultural zones, and build awareness from the ground up. Technology must be paired with traditional resilience.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Disaster Management is investing in outreach and education, having recorded over 400 injuries since 2019 and now launching village-level campaigns through community radio and schools.

As Bangladesh contends with increasingly erratic weather linked to climate change, experts caution that the window for prevention is shrinking. The government’s ability to translate early warnings into real-world safety—especially for those in rural and agrarian livelihoods—may ultimately determine how many more lives are lost in the storm seasons to come.