Floods in Bangladesh leave thousands stranded

Dhaka: At least 20,000 people in northern Bangladesh have been cut off from the rest of the country after several rivers burst their banks, news reports said on Sunday as a flood warning agency forecast the situation is likely to deteriorate.

Crops on some 25,000 acres of land were under water in the northern districts of Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Gaibandha, the United News of Bangladesh agency reported. The Daily Star newspaper reported at least 60,000 day labourers lost their jobs because of the flooding.

Meanwhile, the official Flood Forecasting and Warning Center said the “overall flood situation of the country is alarming'' as water levels of all three major rivers - Jamuna, Padma and Meghna - were rising simultaneously.

Mokhlesur Rahman, an official with the control room of the Disaster Ministry, said officials were trying to collect details from the flooded zones.

The forecasting centre said more low-lying areas in both northern and central Bangladesh are likely to be submerged within two to three days while northeastern districts bordering India are under threat.