After several days of continuous heavy rainfall, several northern districts in Bangladesh have been affected by floods while the third spell of devastating flood is battering northeastern regions, affecting millions of people.

Major rivers in north and northern districts are overflowing due to torrential rains triggered by an active monsoon, leaving tens of lakhs of people stranded as much of the affected north and northeast districts have been submerged, officials and residents told BSS on Thursday.

With the latest flooding, three waves of devastating flood have battered wide swaths of two north-eastern districts Sylhet, Sunamganj and other parts of Bangladesh in unusually short intervals, they said.

Sardar Udoy Raihan, executive engineer at the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre of the Water Development Board, said, "Major rivers in north and northeastern parts of Bangladesh are overflowing as monsoon advances causing massive amounts of rains since late June . . . heavy rainfall is expected for the next two or three days meaning fresh areas will be submerged by floodwaters."

As water levels of major rivers are in rising trend, flood situation is likely to linger in north, northern and other parts of Bangladesh, he added.

 According to the local administrations, thousands of people have been marooned in several districts, including Sylhet, Sunamganj, Gaibandha and Kurigram districts.

Rezaunur Rahman, director general of Department of Disaster Management, told BSS that, "We are overseeing the flood situation in Sylhet and Sunamganj round-the-clock . . . Initially, we are working with local administrations and other relevant agencies to provide emergency assistances for minimizing sufferings of the flood-hit people."

As part of emergency assistances, the department of disaster-management is distributing cash, dry food and pure-drinking water among the flood-affected people in the north-eastern districts, he added.

Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet Sheikh Reshel Hasan said the fresh spell of flood triggered by heavy rainfall submerged low-lying areas in the district.

"Flood affected people are battling with three cycles of flood as lives and livelihoods are hampered severely in the northeastern district of Sylhet," he added.

The first spell of flood affected thousands of people in 13 upazilas and municipalities of Sylhet district in late May.

 A devastating flood, triggered by heavy rainfall and onrush of water from Indian hilly regions, have affected 20 lakh people in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts, according to a statement of UNICEF issued recently.

The statement, signed by Sheldon Yett, UNICEF representative to Bangladesh, read that among the 20 lakh flood affected people in two northeastern districts – Sylhet and Sunamganj – 7.72 lakh were children.

In Gaibandha, flood situation in the chars and Brahmaputra river basin areas in four upazilas has deteriorated as the river maintained its rising trend Thursday morning.

Many of the affected families have taken shelter on the flood control embankment with their belongings, including domestic animals and poultry birds, and they were passing miserable days for shortage of fodder.

A number of villages of Saghata upazila have been flooded as a portion of flood control embankment in Shashanghat area in Bharatkhali union of the upazila was washed away due to pressure of the floodwater on Wednesday, said Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Isahaq Ali.

In Jamalpur, eleven unions in two upazilas of the district have been affected by flood as the river Jamuna is overflowing.

Water levels at 64 river stations monitored by Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) have seen a rise while 43 stations recorded fall.

Among the 110 monitored river stations, water levels at three stations have remained steady while water levels at 19 stations are flowing above the danger level, a bulletin issued by the FFWC said Thursday.

 The Dharia river at Kurigram, the Ghagot river at Gaibandha, the Brahmaputra river at Noonkhawa, Hatia, Chilmari, the Jamuna river at Fulchari, at Bahadurabad, at Saghata, at Sariakandi, at Serajganj, the Surma river at Kanaighat, at Sylhet, the Kushiyara river at Amalshid, at Sheola, at Sherpur-Sylhet, at Markuli, the Manu river at Moulvibazar, the Old Surma at Derai and the Someshwari at Kalmakanda are flowing 2cm, 11cm, 69cm, 63 cm, 62cm, 62cm, 62cm, 53cm, 19cm, 5cm, 69cm, 9cm, 154cm, 46cm, 18cm, 37cm, 01cm, 08cm and 44cm cm above the danger level respectively.

According to the information from meteorological organizations, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in the Northern region and adjoining upstream parts of the country, while heavy rainfall in the North-eastern region and adjoining upstream parts of the country in the next 48 hours.

 In the next 24 hours, flood situation at some low-lying places of Brahmaputra-Jamuna river along Kurigram, Jamalpur, Gaibandha, Bogra and Serajganj districts may deteriorate, while the water level may cross danger level at some points in the Tangail district, the FFWC bulletin added.

In the next 24 hours, the flood situation in the low-lying areas of North-eastern region may remain in steady state.

In the next 48 hours, the Teesta, Dharla, Ghagot and Dudhkumar rivers in the northern region of the country may rise rapidly in times. As a result, the Teesta and Dudhkumar rivers may cross danger levels may flow above danger level for short duration, while the flood situation at low-lying places along the Dharla and Ghagot rivers in Kurigram and Gaibandha districts may slightly deteriorate.

In the next 48 hours, the Jamuneswari, Karatoa, Bangali, Upper Karotoa, Punarbhaba, Tangon, Ichamoti-Jamuna, Atrai, Mohananda and Little-Jamuna rivers in the Northern region and the North-Western region of the Country may rise rapidly this times.