Flood-affected people in Kurigram have been struggling stranded in floodwaters, with many yet to get government relief.
The flood situation in the district has worsened as water levels of 16 rivers, including the Brahmaputra, Dharla, Teesta and Dudhkumar, continue to rise, exacerbating the plight of thousands.
Flood victims said many families are spending nights on boats, calling the relief given by the local administration quite inadequate.
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Saidul Arif on Thursday reported alarming water levels at key points of the Brahmaputra River.
At Chilmari point, the river was flowing 49cm above the danger mark, reached 71cm at Hatia point and 34cm at Nunkhawa point.
Similarly, the Dharla River surpassed danger levels by 8cm at Bridge point and the Dudhkumar by 3cm at Pateshwari point.
The rising water levels submerged vast swathes of land, affecting over 135,000 people in 55 unions of nine upazilas of Kurigram, the DC said.
The affected upazilas are Fulbari, Bhurungamari, Nageshwari, Kurigram Sadar, Ulipur, Rajarhat, Chilmari, Rowmari and Char Rajibpur.
Local upazila representatives, however, estimate the actual number of stranded people to exceed 200,000, with 458 families having lost their homes due to river erosion.
In addition to displaced families, the floods have severely impacted education.
According to district officials, 398 educational institutions are inundated and three have been washed away.
Besides, approximately 7,350 hectares of cropland are underwater.
The situation is dire for many families who are unable to cook due to the inundation, prompting them to seek refuge elsewhere.
So far 542 tons of rice, along with 23,790 packets of dry food, have been distributed among flood victims.
Additionally, 83 medical teams have been deployed in the flood-hit areas.