State Minister for Disaster Management and relief Enamur Rahman said on Thursday that the flood has affected more than 2.2 million people in 18 districts of Bangladesh.
Speaking at a virtual press conference from his office in Dhaka on Thursday, the Minister said that the government has opened 1544 flood shelters in 12 worst hit districts where more than 20,000 people and 56,000 animals have taken shelter. Medical teams, police and volunteers are working among the flood affected people.
In the meanwhile, the flood situation improved slightly across the Brahmaputra and Meghna river basins. According to the latest bulletin issued by the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) at 3 p.m. on Thursday, most of the rivers in the Brahmaptura basin either reported a fall in water level or a very slight increase. However, Dharla at Kurigram, Ghagot at Gaibandha, Brahmaputra at Noonkhawa and Chilmari were above the danger mark.
Jamuna was flowing above the danger mark at most of the places including at Fulchari, Bahadurabad and Saraikandi.
Most of the rivers in the Ganges basin were either below the danger level or only marginally above it. In the Meghna basin, Surma was flowing above danger level at Kanaighat.
According to the FFWC forecast, the flood situation will improve in Sylhet, Sunamganj and Kurigram districts in the next 24 hours. Of the 101 stations monitored in the country by the FFWC, water levels increased at 55 stations, decreased at 45 stations and remained stable at one station.