The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has estimated on Wednseday that nearly five million people in Bangladesh are currently internally displaced due to natural disasters, including floods, cyclones and river erosion.

This marks the first comprehensive nationwide assessment of disaster-induced displacement in the country. The study covered all eight divisions, 64 districts, 4,579 unions, 329 municipalities and 480 city corporation wards. Data collection took place between September and October 2025 through 5,388 field visits, with more than 29,000 key informants interviewed.

Lance Bonneau, Chief of Mission of IOM Bangladesh, said, “Understanding the scale of displacement is essential for effective disaster management and long-term planning. These findings give national authorities, local leaders and development partners a shared foundation to respond to displacement with greater clarity and coordination.”

The assessment found that two out of three IDPs (63%) were displaced before April 2020, while one in four (25%) were displaced between April 2020 and April 2024. Chattogram Division hosts the largest number of IDPs (1.21 million), followed by Dhaka (0.79 million) and Rajshahi (0.66 million). Four districts — Chattogram, Sirajganj, Bhola and Noakhali — account for a quarter of all displaced persons. Most IDPs (85%) live in rural union areas.

Government officials welcomed the report as a key step in implementing the National Strategy on Internal Displacement Management, which calls for systematic data collection. Aleya Akter, Secretary of Statistics and Informatics Division, addressed the event virtually, while K M Abdul Wadud, Additional Secretary of MoDMR; Mohammad Navid Saifullah, Additional Secretary of MoEFCC; and Eva Atanassova from the European Union also spoke.

The event featured a presentation of the methodology, an official unveiling of the report, and a panel discussion on integrating IDP estimation into government data systems, with participation from the Department of Disaster Management (DDM), Department of Environment (DoE), Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), and development partners.

The new estimate is expected to guide policies on disaster preparedness, relocation planning, social protection, climate adaptation, and long-term development, strengthening Bangladesh’s approach to managing internal displacement.