At least 25 villages in Kamalganj upazila have been inundated after a protection embankment on the Dhalai River was breached by incessant rainfall and upstream hill runoff, leaving around 10,000 people stranded.
With the river flowing 33 centimeters above the danger level, authorities fear floodwaters could inundate more low-lying areas.
A visit to the affected areas on Thursday found vast stretches of Islampur, Adampur, and Madhabpur unions under water after the embankment was breached on Wednesday night.
The worst damage was reported in the Mokabil and Ganganagar areas, where a large section of the embankment gave way, allowing floodwaters to surge into nearby villages.
The worsening flood situation has severely disrupted daily life, while the Islampur-Adampur main road has gone under water, completely cutting off road communication.
According to local sources, residents of at least 25 villages, including Mokabil, Bhandarigaon, Ganganagar, Konagaon, Berigaon, and Sripur, have become stranded by floodwaters.
Farmers have also suffered extensive crop losses, with Aus paddy fields submerged under three to four feet of water.
Floodwaters have entered at least eight educational institutions, including Bhandarigaon High School, forcing authorities to suspend classes and ongoing examinations indefinitely.
Local residents blamed the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) for failing to repair the vulnerable section of the embankment in time.
They alleged that the Mokabil stretch had remained at risk for a long time, but the lack of timely repairs led to the current disaster.
Responding to the allegations, BWDB Executive Engineer in Moulvibazar Khaled Bin Walid said the agency had taken steps to repair the vulnerable section in the Mokabil area.
However, he claimed the work could not be completed due to objections from India's Border Security Force (BSF).
"We had initiated repair work at the vulnerable site, but it could not be completed because of the BSF's obstruction. Whatever repairs were carried out despite the restrictions were washed away by the strong current," he said.
Kamalganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Asaduzzaman said he had visited the flood-affected areas and that efforts were underway to relocate stranded residents to safer shelters.
The upazila administration has also begun distributing dry food and emergency relief materials among affected families, he added.
With the Dhalai River still flowing well above the danger level, panic has spread among residents living along its banks.
The BWDB warned that if the upstream surge continues, the risk of flooding in the Manu and Kushiyara river basins will increase further.
