Downpour coupled with onrush of hill waters from the upstream and tidal surge further aggravated the flood situation, inundating more low-lying areas across the country.
According to sources, water level in the Padma, Dhaleshwari, Meghna, Jamuna, Atrai, Korotoa, Surma, Brahmaputra rivers and their tributaries has recently risen further. As a result, thousands of villages adjacent to rivers have been inundated in country’s eastern, southern, southeastern, southwestern and some parts of northern districts.
Floods are disrupting ferry services are being disrupted while the entire road communications system is also facing troubles much to the sufferings of millions of people.
Mukhlesur Rahman, superintending engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board or BWDB, said, "We have recorded both receding and rising trends in many of the rivers including the Mohananda, Ganges, and Padma of the Ganges basin during the last 24 hours till Saturday."
He said the Ganges swelled by 3cm at Pankha point in Chapainawabganj and 2cm at Rajshahi point, while water level declined by 3cm at Hardinge Bridge and remained stable at Talbaria point at 9:00am on Saturday.
He further said that water levels rose at 14 points while receded at 14 points and remained stable at two points among the 30 river points monitored in the Ganges basin on Saturday.
Apart from this, the rivers were flowing below the danger level at 25 points, while water levels were above the danger level at five points.
Water level of the Korotoa River further declined by 11cm and 12cm at Chak Rahimpur and at Bogra points respectively and the river was flowing 256cm and 347cm below the danger level at the two points respectively Saturday morning.
On the other hand, the local BWDB office has recorded both rising and falling trends at all the three point of the Jamuna Saturday.
The water level declined by 3cm at Sirajganj while increased by 2cm afresh at its Kazipur points and remained steady at Sariakandi in Bogra.
Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, executive engineer of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), said that the Jamuna River was still flowing 7cm and 11cm below the danger level at Kazipur and at Sirajganj points respectively.
The Gur River was flowing 17cm below the danger level at Singra in Natore with a 3cm fall afresh while the Atrai River was flowing 11cm above the danger level at Baghabari in Sirajganj point with just one cm rise Saturday morning.
Of the 16 river points both in Ganges and Brahmaputra Basins, being monitored in many districts under Rajshahi division regularly, water levels decreased at 11 points while increased at three points and remained steady at two points.
Besides, most of the rivers in the Meghna basin are rising, but they are still danger level except at one point.
Surma River registered an increase in water level at all the three points, Sylhet, Kanaighat and Sunamganj, where it is monitored. The Meghna River also showed an increase in water level at Bhairab Bazar, Baidyar Bazar and Meghna bridge points.
In the Ganges basin, water level increased at 16 points while it decreased at 13 points. The Padma river receded at Goalundo, Bhagyakul and Mawa while it showed a slight rise at Sureshwar.
In the south eastern hill basin water level increased at six points while it decreased at three points.
According to the latest flood bulletin issued by the FFWC at 9 in the morning on Saturday, out of 101 points monitored by it across the four major river basins of Bangladesh, water level increased at 57 points, decreased at 38 points and remained unchanged at six points. However, only a few rivers were flowing above the danger level in the country.
In the Ganges basin the Padma was flowing above danger level at all the four points monitored by the FFWC. In the Brahmaputra basin, the Atari River at Baghabari, Dhaleswari at Elasin and Lakhya at Narayanganj was flowing above the danger level on Saturday morning.
Coastal districts overflooded
Meanwhile, scores of villages in three coastal districts -- Khulna, Satkhira and Patuakhali-- are flooded by tidal surge of the seawater as the protection embankments suffered serious damages by the recent super cyclonic storm Amphan.
Several thousand villagers are marooned while many houses have been damaged and over one hundred shrimp enclosures remain inundated.
The flood scenario in the central districts--Manikganj, Rajbari and Faridpur--remained unchanged while water started receding in the north.
Met Office said water level of the area increased significantly for heavy rainfall due to low in the Bay of Bengal and the maritime ports were asked to hoist local cautionary signal No 3 while high tide is predicted.
Meanwhile, a Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre bulletin on Friday said that out of 101 observation points, water level in 43 points increased and water in 53 points decreased while it remained unchanged in five points.
The highest level of water recorded in the Meghna in Chandpur was 55 centimeters, Padma at Mawa 20cm, Jamuna at Sureshwar 34cm and Dhaleswari at Elasin 24cm.
It is feared that another wave of flooding may hit the country next week due to heavy rainfall upstream.
Meteorologist AKM Mazmul Hoque said that rain might continue in most of the districts of Rajshahi, Khulna, Chattogram and Barishal divisions and many districts of Dhaka and Sylhet divisions.
Our Chattogram Correspondent adds: The port city Chattogram experienced the highest tide of the year and heavy rain on Saturday much to the misery of life the people.
High tides and heavy rain caused by depression in the Bay since the last one week prolonged the fight of the city-dwellers.
Meteorology Department Source said on Saturday morning the height of tide in Karnaphuli River was 5.29 meter, which is the highest level recorded this year and the water level is also 2-3 feet higher than the average height of the tidal waves.
Till Saturday 3pm, Chattogram experienced 102 mm of rainfall in the last 12 hours till 3 pm Saturday. The meteorological department said that it was raining heavily.
The Southwestern areas, low-lying part of Chattogram has been inundated by rain and the tidal water. Since last week, densely populated areas of the city like Agrabad, Halishahar, Rampur, and CDA residential areas were submerged under knee-deep water.
At the same time, the area along the Karnafuli River, including Chaktai and Khatunganj, the commercial area and largest consumer goods markets of the country, are submerged by tidal water twice a day.
Chagtai-Khatunganj have been damaged by tidal waters for a decade, but this year the damage and suffering are more than that of previous years, claimed Sagir Ahmed, General Secretary of the business association of the areas.
The traders said the gushing water flow blocks Chaktai canal and part of Rajakhali canal in Karnaphuli estuary for construction of sluice gate.
The most affected areas due to the tide are Agrabad CDA residential area and adjoining areas of the city. Due to the tidal water, services in the largest medical facility in the areas, Chattogram Maa o Sishu, are interrupted.
