Continuous rain for four days has disrupted daily life in Barisal city and surrounding areas, exhausting residents but bringing joy to farmers. Like previous days, many were forced to spend their time indoors due to the rain on Tuesday.

Daily wage earners, students and low-income people are in extreme trouble due to rain.

Anisur Rahman, officer-in-charge of the Barisal weather observatory, said 83.1mm of rainfall was recorded in the 24 hours till 3pm.

He added: "This is seasonal rainfall. It usually rains like this during the monsoon".

The weather official also said that after reviewing the weather forecast, it can be said that the rain may continue like this for the next two to three days and then decrease slightly.

In this weather situation, sea ports have been asked to show signal No three and river ports No one, the weather office sources added.

However, farmers are happy with the rain.

They said the rain will fertilize the soil at the right time for sowing paddy seeds in the fields.

Meanwhile, important areas of Barisal city were filled with water due to the continuous rain.

Water has been trapped in the dead canals and drains, and garbage has come up on the roads.

Waterlogging has also occurred in many places.

Anwar Hossain, a resident of the Rupatali Housing area, said: “It has become difficult to go outside due to the continuous pouring rain. The dirt from the drains is creating more difficulties in moving on the roads.”

Yusuf Ali of the same area said: "Water has accumulated at the mouth of Rupatali Bazar and on the eastern side of the Gol Chattar area.”

Hamidul Islam, a resident of the Kaunia area, said: "The continuous rain has caused waterlogging in every lane."

He added: "Drains have not been cleaned throughout the year. Only a few large drains have been cleaned. That will not solve the problems of the entire city. If we do not pay special attention to the congested areas, our suffering will not decrease.”

However, Abid Hossain, a resident of the Baherchar area in Babuganj upazila, said this rain is very beneficial for rice seedbeds.

"Continuous rain will soften the fields, which will facilitate our cultivation. The fertility of the soil also increases with rain," he said.

Aminur Rahman, a farmer from Sapania, said: "It is difficult to raise cattle and goats. The animals cannot go out to eat. However, this rain is very good for farming. So farmers are happy with such rain."

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has suspended launch services from Barishal due to inclement weather.

Barisal river port has been asked to hoist signal number 2 as low pressure formed in the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjacent areas.

Sheikh Mohammad Salim Reza, joint director of BIWTA's Barishal river port, confirmed this.

He said the suspension order will remain in force till further direction.

The water of nine rivers in the southern region is flowing above the danger level. Barishal's Kirtankhola river, Burishwar and Payra rivers in Amtali in Barguna and Burishwar and Payra rivers in Mirganj in Patuakhali are flowing near the danger level.

Though the launch operation on the domestic (60-foot length) route from Barisal has been suspended, but the decision regarding the launch operation on the Dhaka-Barisal route, has not yet been made, Mohammad Salim added.

A car rammed into a packed crowd celebrating Liverpool's Premier League title victory on Monday leaving 27 people hospitalised, but police said they were ruling out terrorism.

"We believe this to be an isolated incident, and we are not currently looking for anyone else in relation to it," Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims told a press conference, adding a 53-year-old white British man had been arrested.

"The incident is not being treated as terrorism," she added.

Some 27 football fans were hospitalised, including two who were seriously injured, after a dark-coloured vehicle swerved through the huge crowds hitting people in its path, minutes after the players' open-topped bus passed by.

Four children were among those hurt, including one seriously.

Tens of thousands of people had turned out in torrential rain for what should have been jubilant celebrations to see the northwest English side's victory parade.

The bus carrying the team had passed by Water Street just minutes before the car ran into the crowd, witnesses said.

"It was extremely fast," said Harry Rashid, 48, from Solihull, near Birmingham, central England, who was at the parade with his wife and two young daughters.

"Initially we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of the car," he told reporters.

"It was horrible and you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people."

Witness Mike Maddra said the "car turned left, mounted pavement, come towards us and runs towards the buildings."

He said "we got out the way and it was speeding up".

'Remarkable bravery'  

Twenty other people were treated at the scene for their injuries, in a large blue tent set up on the street.

Four people, including a child, were trapped under the car and had to be removed, said Nick Searle, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service chief fire officer.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer commended the "remarkable bravery shown by the police and other emergency services".

"They are supporting and caring for those injured in these terrible events," he said in a statement, adding: "the whole country stands with Liverpool".

BBC reporter Matt Cole who was at the parade with his family described hearing "screams ahead of us and suddenly this dark blue car just came through the crowd.

"It just wasn't stopping. I managed to grab my daughter who was with me and jump out of the way," he said.

Images shared on social media showed the car being brought to a halt and swarmed by angry fans, who broke the back windows as police sought to hold them back.

Liverpool had earlier been a sea of red as hundreds of thousands of supporters packed the city's streets to celebrate winning the Premier League title with Arne Slot's successful squad.

Star players Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk led the festivities on the top deck of the bus.

'Difficult day' 

Plumes of red smoke from flares had filled the air as the players took four hours to cover the 10-mile (16-kilometre) route.

Liverpool FC said on X they were working with Merseyside police, adding: "Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this serious incident".

And Liverpool metro mayor, Steve Rotheram, said it was "a difficult day for our city region, but we stand together".

Everton, Liverpool's Merseyside rivals, also said the club's "thoughts are with all those who have been affected by this serious incident in our city".

Liverpool's record-equalling 20th English top-flight title was secured nearly a month ago as Slot's men wrapped up the Premier League with four games to spare.

However, they were only presented with the trophy after Sunday's final match against Crystal Palace.

Despite Liverpool's storied history, the club's fanbase had been waiting 35 years to collectively celebrate a league title.

When Jurgen Klopp's side ended a 30-year drought without winning the league in 2020, there was no parade due to coronavirus restrictions.

Liverpool's football history has been shadowed by tragedy.

In 1989, 97 Liverpool fans died in a crush at a game in the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield.

More than 760 people were also injured in the deadliest disaster in British sporting history, which still scars the port city.

In 1985, 39 mainly Italian fans were killed when a wall collapsed amidst disturbances between Liverpool and Juventus fans at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels.

Source: AFP