A family ferries belongings after leaving their flooded home inTrimohini, east of Dhaka, Bangladesh , Aug. 5, 2007. Fears grew on Sunday that epidemics would strike the millions marooned or forced from their homes by South Asia's catastrophic floods as the death toll climbed to 320 and criticism of relief efforts spread. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

    DHAKA, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- With 36 fresh deaths, current monsoon floods that brought havoc to crops and infrastructure in Bangladesh claimed 120 lives till Sunday morning, officials in the relief ministry said.

    The flood caused by heavy downpour and onrush of water from upper riparian in India left over eight million people in 38 out of the country's 64 districts marooned.

    Nearly 300,000 flood hit victims were rehabilitated in 1,200 flood centers in the affected districts.

    The army-backed caretaker government will not seek international aid to cope with the situation as Law and Information Advisor Barrister Mainul Hosein Sunday told reporters that they would try to overcome the situation by internal resources.

    "We will try to manage the relief works from our own resources but we will not oppose if donor countries voluntarily provides assistance," he said.

    The government has allocated cash money, rice and dry food among the victims, but local media reported that the relief goods are too scanty to meet the needs.

    Chief Advisor of the caretaker government Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed and army chief Gen Moeen Ahmed urged the people and parties to stand beside the affected people, but the response on the ground looks not encouraging.

    A simmering dispute between the government and major political parties has surfaced over the conduct of relief operations.

    Leaders of major parties including former ruling parties -- Bangladesh Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party demanded that they should be allowed to use their party banners while conducting the relief operations.

    But both the chief advisor and the army chief declined to give them permission to use the party banner as political activities were banned under the state of emergency imposed on last Jan. 11.

    The Chief Advisor is likely to address the nation on Sunday evening detailing government relief and rehabilitation measures. He is expected to make a call to the people irrespective of the party and opinion to stand beside the flood victims.

    Meanwhile, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center Sunday said although the water started receding slowly in northern districts, Padma River, one of the major rivers in the country, continued rising, deteriorating the flood situation in central region including capital Dhaka and its adjacent districts. Small rivers surrounding capital Dhaka registered further rise.

Bangladesh flood toll rises to 81

People use boats near their flooded homes at Basila in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Aug. 4, 2007. More than 230 people have died over the past 11 days after torrential monsoon rains lashed the region, including much of Bangladesh, causing rivers to burst their banks. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    DHAKA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- With 16 more lives claimed by the flood on Saturday, the flood death toll in Bangladesh has risen to 81 while the flood control and relief officials feared further deterioration of the situation in central region of Bangladesh.

    More than 7 million people have been affected by the flood caused by incessant rainfall and onrush of waters from the upper riparian in India. Full story

Floods in Bangladesh continue to cause havoc

    DHAKA, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The terrible floods in Bangladesh continued to cause havoc on life and property as 54 people were so far killed and nearly 5,700,000 people in 34 districts affected by the floodwaters.

    The current flooding appears to have taken critical turn with major rivers flowing above their red marks. Full story

UK provides 2.5 mln USD aid for Bangladesh flood victims

    DHAKA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Responding to the current floods in Bangladesh, the United Kingdom has given 2.5 million U.S. dollars of immediate aid for the flood victims, private news agency UNB reported Wednesday.

    The aid money will be spent for providing food, water, shelter and medicines for 50,000 people in the ten worst-affected districts and special assistance through the chars livelihoods program (CLP). Full story

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