A surge in the onrush of water from the upstream in India on Saturday freshly inundated dozens of villages in the north, leaving scores of families homeless and stranding thousands of others.
Major northern rivers in the Brahmaputra basin rapidly swelled between Friday and Saturday, sweeping away flood protection embankments in Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Gaibandha, prompting authorities to shut down over 200 educational institutions.
The rise in the flow of water from the upstream, where isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall has been predicted to persist through July 9, indicated potential inundation of more low-lying areas in central Bangladesh, where the flood officially struck on Saturday.
Runoff from 1.6 million square kilometres of area covering China, Nepal, Bhutan and India drains through Bangladesh, which accounts for only 7.5 per cent of the catchment area.
After entering through the north and north-east, the massive amount of water flows downstream to the Bay of Bengal, often triggering flood, particularly during monsoon, when 80 per cent of the annual rain falls.
At least 10 more deaths were reported on Saturday due to reasons associated with flooding amidst continued heavy rain inside Bangladesh.
For the first time in the latest spell of flood, disaster management and relief state minister Mohibur Rahman on Saturday said that the ongoing flood affected 20 lakh people in 15 districts, almost a fourth of the country鈥檚 administrative areas.
鈥楾his is the fourth time in about a month my house聽 was flooded,鈥� said Atiar Rahman, a resident of Hatibandha in Lalmonirhat.
鈥楨ach time I had to leave my home like many others. It does not seem to bother the government,鈥� resentfully he said.
Bangladesh鈥檚 climate is characterised by monsoon flood, which used to be a blessing bringing plenty of water for irrigation, fertile soil and relief from scorching summer.
Deforestation, unabated encroachment of rivers for building infrastructure, including barrages and dams, particularly in India, unplanned urbanisation and lack of care for water bodies transformed the blessing into a curse.
Authorities sounded red alert for people living close to the Teesta River which swelled up to 26cm in the 24 hours until 9:00am on Saturday with forecasts of overtopping its danger level yet again.
The Teesta breached an embankment in Hatibandha, inundating new areas.
At least 73 houses were washed away in the five flood affected northern districts between Friday and Saturday.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Kurigram reported heavy currents in the Dudhkumar River sweeping away flood protection embankment at two places at Bamondanga in Nageswari upazila about 9.00am on Saturday.
The Dudhkumar swelled by 44cm in the 24 hours reporting period, flowing 22cm above the danger mark until 9:00am on Saturday, and hitting at least 10 villages soon with huge volumes of water giving the inhabitants very little time to flee.
Over a lakh people were trapped in flood-hit 200 villages in 42 unions of Kurigram, while over 6,600 hectares of its cropland was affected.
Three people, including sister siblings, were electrocuted in Kurigram on Saturday as they came into contact with live electric wires while travelling in rafts.
The deceased sisters were identified as Sumaiya, 11, and Masuma, 6, of Beguni Para of Kaliganj upazila, who were travelling in a raft made with banana stems.
The other deceased was identified as Sirajul Islam, of Bepari para of Narayanpur.
The Rangpur divisional commissioner鈥檚 office confirmed two more deaths, both by drowning鈥攐ne in Lalmonirhat and the other in Gaibandha.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Sirajganj reported drowning of two students at Potajia Kalibari of Shahjadpur upazila after a boat capsized.
抖阴精品 staff correspondent in Sylhet reported three more deaths from drowning. The deceased were identified as Chan Miah, 32, of Batharkandi village, and Ruma Akter, 18, of Kamalkhani Mahalla, both in Baniachang upazila, and Guljan, 70, of Azampur in Doarabazar, Sunamganj.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Rangpur reported food and drinking water crisis in the flood affected areas amid inadequate government relief operations.
The real picture of the plights of hundreds of thousands of flood affected people remained unknown as they remained cut off from any means of communications.
Country roads remained submerged for up to three weeks, particularly in the north-east. The rivers were flowing with too strong currents to operate commercial river transport in many areas in the north.
The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre reported until 9:00am on Saturday that 10 rivers were flowing above their danger marks at 21 points in the Brahmaputra and Meghna basins.
The Jamuna at Jagannathpur in Jamalpur and Kushiara at Amalshid in Sylhet flowed 115cm above their danger marks each, the FFWC said.
The FFWC warned that the flood situation might worsen in parts of the north today with about a dozen rivers at risk of witnessing rapid water level rise any moment.
The FFWC reported heavy to very heavy rainfall鈥攗p to 175mm鈥攁cross a vast landscape inside Bangladesh and its adjacent upstream areas in India in the 24 hours until 9:00am on Saturday.
The flood affected districts are Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrakona, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Rangpur, Jamalpur, Gaibandha, Feni, Rangamati, Bogura, Kurigram, Sirajganj, Lalmonirhat and Cox鈥檚 Bazar, according to the disaster ministry.
The state minister for disaster management on Saturday said that the government allocated 8,700 tonnes of rice, Tk 3.10 crore in cash, 58,500 sacks of dry food, Tk 60 lakh for baby food and Tk 60 lakh for fodder so far.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Moulvibazar reported that parts of the district remained flood affected for 23 days running.
The ongoing flood has also triggered severe water-logging in some towns, such as Moulvibazar municipality, where almost all government offices, including upazila healthcare complex, have been sunk in knee-deep water for weeks.
Shilpi Begum, a resident of Mansoor area of Kadipur union of Moulvibazar sadar upazila, came to the health complex with her six-month-old son suffering from cold and fever, wading through water since she stepped out of her home.
鈥業 live in a colony in the urban town and yet it was so difficult to reach the hospital,鈥� she said.
鈥楳y heart goes out to those living in flooded, remote villages with medical emergencies,鈥� said the empathic mother.