Flood comes with suffering 

A few lakh more people were hit by flood in three coastal districts as flood water breached several embankments there. In Bandarban, the Sangu devoured at least 50 houses on its bank early yesterday.

Some villages in the bordering Sharsha and Jhikargachha upazilas of Jessore were inundated due to onrush of water from rivers upstream in West Bengal.

The overall flood situation in Noakhali improved yesterday, but deteriorated in Cox's Bazar and remained unchanged in Bandarban.

The Dhaka Met office said many areas of the country might experience further rainfall today.

Over five lakh people have been suffering from flooding in Cox's Bazar, Noakhali, Feni, Patuakhali and Barguna since the tropical storm Komen hit the Bangladesh coast on Friday.

Hundreds of villages near the coasts went under water. Standing crops and fish farms were washed away, said local people.

Flood water broke through about five kilometres of embankments in Barguna, Patuakhali and Cox's Bazar, submerging around 50 villages along the coasts.

Mir Tariquzzaman Tara, chairman of Lalua Union Parishad in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali, said families of over 5,000 farmers in 10 villages were marooned as tidal water submerged the villages in the last four days.

In Noakhali, nearly four lakh people were affected by flooding as 353 villages in Hatiya, Subarnachar, Senbag, Sonaimuri, Begumganj, Kabirhat, Companiganj and Noakhali Sadar upazilas went under water, said sources at the deputy commissioner's (DC) office.

Many victims moved to cyclone shelters while some took shelter at their relatives' houses.

In Cox's Bazar, eight unions under Maheshkhali upazila were inundated as portions of embankments were washed away by flood water.

Shahidul Mostafa, chairman of Mognama Union Parishad in the upazila, said around 40,000 people were affected by the deluge in his union.

In Bandarban, the Sangu devoured at least 50 houses on its bank early yesterday. Some 1,000 more houses were at risk of collapse. People from Barisal, Patuakhali, and Comilla built those houses there illegally, said locals.

One of the victims Hanufa Bibi, 55, said her family members could only save their lives, but not their belongings.

In Jessore, over 500 families of nine villages under Sharsha upazila were marooned by rising water. Some 200 fish enclosures were washed away. Seed beds on around 655 hectares of land and vegetable plants on about 335 hectares were damaged, said sources at the DC's office.

Some district administrations started distributing relief materials among the flood victims.

Our correspondents from Noakhali, Cox's Bazar, Patuakhali, Feni, Bandarban and Benapole contributed to this report.