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by Naim-Ul-Karim
DHAKA, July 31 (Xinhua) -- More than a week of flooding has claimed at least 14 lives and drove hundreds of thousands of people from their homes in parts of Bangladesh.
An official of the control room under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief in capital Dhaka told Xinhua Sunday that "all the 14 deaths occurred in three northern Bangladesh districts - Jamalpur, Kurigram and Gaibandha."
The official, who declined to be named, said flooding triggered by heavy seasonal rains and onrush of water from hills across the Indian borders has left up to half a million homeless in the northern region of the country that are prone to torrential rains between June and September.
Flood monitoring center in Dhaka said thousands of people were still living in schools, community halls and other relief centers on Sunday.
Floods have caused widespread damage to habitation, crops, roads and highways across vast areas of the country.
Exact damage is yet to be estimated, said the control room official, adding that it would be no less than several billions taka (1 U.S. dollar equals to 79 taka).
TV reports showed villages in the country's north and northeast have gone under up-to-waist-high water. The residents were seen leaving their houses wading through flooded roads or on boats in search for shelter or a dry ground to live temporarily.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday called on individuals and organizations to help the country's flood-hit people with relief materials.
Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya Saturday told a press briefing that ample measures have been taken to evacuate people affected by floods along with relief operation on a massive scale.
He said they have taken early precautionary measures amid apprehension that flood water may enter and inundate more new areas.
Officials, however, said on Sunday that water levels could subside in the next few days.
"The overall flood situation in north, north central and north eastern part of the country may likely to improve in next 72 hours," said Sajjad Hossain, executive engineer at Flood Forecasting & Warning Centre of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).
Among the 90 monitored water level stations, he said water levels at 46 monitored river stations were found rising while water levels at 39 stations seen falling.
"Water levels at 18 monitored river stations are still flowing above their respective danger marks."
Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman, an official of the control room under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, told Xinhua that flood situation in 16 districts including Bogra, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Kurigram, Kushtia, Sirajganj and Jamalpur in the northern part have been deteriorated, affecting a large number of people.
Plight of millions of people in Bangladesh, criss-crossed by more than 230 rivers, mounts every year as the low-lying South Asian country experiences almost every year seasonal floods whether small or big.
Three months of sustained floods in 1988 left several hundred people dead and caused millions of U.S. dollars in damage.
The country was again ravaged by major flooding in 1998 that left millions homeless and caused huge damage.
Experts said Bangladesh, bordering the Bay of Bengal, has become more vulnerable to climate change-related problems like cyclones, flooding, as its capacity to protect its people and land is feeble.
In 2007, two rounds of floods in Bangladesh killed more than 1,000 people. Enditem
