Heavy rains and onrush of hill water over the past few days caused floods in different parts of the country that inundated houses and crop fields.
Low-lying areas in eight unions of three Gaibandha upazilas went under water while at least 35 families hit by river erosion moved elsewhere.
Water in the Brahmaputra, Jamuna and Teesta rivers increased in the past five days but was still under the danger level.
Uria union Chairman Abdul Hamid said a number of places in Kalasona, Uttar Uria and Ratanpur villages saw erosion of the Brahmaputra River.
Habibur Rahman, chairman of Fulchhari union, said the families displaced by erosion would be given relief materials.
He said the local office of Water Development Board had been informed of the situation.
Chairmen of several other unions said water in the Teesta River was rising in their respective areas.
Abdul Awal, executive engineer of Gaibandha office of Water Development Board, said necessary steps would be taken.
In Sherpur’s Jhenaigati upazila, 17 villages were submerged early yesterday while downpour destroyed huts and washed a huge amount of fishes from ponds away.
Traders at Dhanshail Bazar incurred losses as water destroyed products and goods. Crops in Aman fields were also damaged.
Chairmen of several unions visited the afflicted areas while local Jubo League members doled out relief goods among flood victims on behalf of lawmaker AKM Fazlul Haque Chan.
Jhenaigati upazila Chairman Aminul Islam Badshah said flood was the result of sudden onrush of hill water.
He said the scale of the damage would not be large if water receded fast.
“We are trying to deal with the situation.” added Badshah.
In Kurigram, Aman crops in 30,000 hectares of land were inundated as a rise in water in the Dharala River aggravated flood situation.
Water in the river flew 24cm above the danger level after heavy rains while several other rivers in the district, including Teesta and Brahmaputra, saw a dramatic rise in water level.
Local officials said more than 50,000 people living in over 100 villages under nine upazilas were marooned. Flood also wreaked havoc on houses and roads, multiplying people’s woes.
Amir Hossain, chairman of Panchgachhi union, some 5,000-7,000 people living in his area had been marooned.
“The road communication system has collapsed, forcing people to move by boats. Croplands were heavily damaged too,” he said.
Local Water Development Board officials said yesterday that water in the Brahmaputra River increased by 51cm and 50cm at Chilmari point and Nun Khawa point respectively in 24 hours.
The maximum rainfall in Kurigram in the last 24 hours was measured 316mm yesterday.
In Netrokona, 50 villages in three upazilas – Kalamakanda, Durgapur and Barhatta - were inundated while water in several small and big rivers increased in the last two days.
Water entered houses in many villages located in low-lying areas such as Barakapan, Harinakul, Keshabpur, Chauhatta, Rajnagar and Baushari.
Fish in more than a thousand ponds and enclosures was washed away while farmers said Aman seeds in at least 5,000 hectares of land were damaged.
Flood victims said local officials had visited the afflicted areas but no relief had yet been distributed.
AKM Hadisuzzaman, chairman of Barakapan union in Kamalakanda, said some 25,000 people in 22 villages of the union were marooned.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension Bilash Chandra Paul said crops would not be heavily damaged if water receded soon.
“We can measure the extent of damage of croplands once water recedes. A few days later, we will also measure the extent of losses incurred by farmers,” he added.