Water continued to recede from the flood-affected south-eastern districts but rescue and relief operations were still facing difficulties until Thursday, while sufferings of the people mounting with rising concerns over snake bites.
The death toll rose to 52 that included 39 men, six women, and seven children due to the deluge caused mainly by onrush of upstream water.
Among the dead, 17 in Feni, 14 in Cumilla, eight in Noakhali, six in Chattogram, three in Cox's Bazar, and one each in Khagrachari, Brahmanbaria, Laxmipur, and Moulvibazar, and one person remained missing in Moulvibazar, according to the ministry of disaster management and relief.
KM Ali Reza, additional secretary of the ministry, at a press conference on Thursday noon informed that 68 upazilas across 11 districts have been affected by the floods, including Feni, Cumilla, Chattogram, Noakhali, Cox's Bazar, Khagrachari, Brahmanbaria, Laxmipur, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, and Sylhet.
Some 1.07 million families still remained inundated while the affected individuals stand at 5.48 million.
However, apart from the scarcity of rice, pulses and fresh water, incidents of snakebites have come as additional sufferings for the affected people of Feni.
In just one day, Feni District Sadar Hospital admitted 24 patients of snakebites and 71 with diarrhea, while patients with respiratory issues are rising, according to Hospital Supervisor Dr Mubarak Hossain. He said the flood has led to an outbreak of waterborne diseases.
The hospital has been providing outdoor medical treatment daily, as patients with various ailments, including snakebites, are seeking help.
Unfortunately, due to the flood's impact, essential services such as dialysis, pathology, X-ray, and ECG are currently unavailable due to damage to equipment and medicines.
The ground floor of Feni General Hospital was submerged during the severe flooding, halting the hospital's normal operations for the past week, he said.
Patients and their families have complained about the lack of doctors in the corridors, floors, and various wards of the hospital.
Hospital sources indicate that, in the past week, nurses have performed approximately 50 deliveries without the presence of doctors. Even though the floodwater receded, the hospital's services have not fully resumed.
Significant damage to the Pathology, Dialysis, NICU wards, Emergency, and Store rooms means that it would take more time to deliver full services, said Feni hospital officials.
With the cessation of rainfall in Noakhali and a decrease in upstream water, floodwater have begun receding in all eight upazilas.
Over the past 24 hours, water levels have dropped by three to eight inches, providing some relief to the affected people.
Despite the decrease in water levels, knee-deep to waist-deep water remains across all eight flood-affected upazilas, including the district town of Maijdi, local residents said.
They alleged that the reduction in water flow is slow due to full and blocked drainage canals and reservoirs.
It is estimated that, at the current rate, it will take approximately a week for the floodwater to fully recede, said an official of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), Noakhali.
According to the MoDMR, the number of people in shelters in the district increased, despite the receding of floodwater. Currently, 0.29 million people are sheltered in 1,366 shelters across the district. Additionally, 0.20 million people remain in watertight conditions.
Meanwhile, many people are yet to get relief in Lakshmipur district, according to sources.
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Yunus Mia said that 780 tonnes of rice and Tk 3.0 million in cash have been allocated to affected areas.
However, as of Wednesday evening, remote areas such as Dighli, Charshahi, Bangakhan, and Mandari Union of Sadar upazilas remain inaccessible due to flooding.
BWDB executive engineer Nahid-Uz Zaman Khan said that water from Noakhali continues to flow into Laxmipur, overwhelming the regulators and exacerbating the situation.
Although water levels in Raipur and Ramganj upazilas have slightly decreased, many people remain trapped in the Bhulua river area outside the embankment in Ramgati and Kamalnagar, where Noakhali's water joins the Bhulua river, said Mr Zaman.
Meanwhile, three days after the Farakka Dam gates were fully opened, the water level in the Padma River in Rajshahi has risen by 4.0 cm.
As of 6:00 pm on Thursday, the water level at Barakuthi Point in Rajshahi city was recorded at 16.34 cm, up from 16.30 cm on Wednesday evening.
Despite the gates being fully opened on August 26, the water level in the Padma River remained relatively stable initially, recorded at 16.30 cm for three consecutive days.
According to the BWDB Rajshahi, the water danger level for the region is 18.05 cm, meaning the current water level is 1.71 metres below the danger level.
Meanwhile, the MoDMR distributed Tk 45 million in cash, 20,650 tonnes of rice, 15,000 packets of dry food and baby food, animal feed worth Tk 7.0 million in the flood-affected south-eastern districts.
The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement also sent 0.104 million packets of dry food, cloth and water through the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) in the districts so far.
The flood forecasting and warning centre (FFWC) Thursday evening reported that all the major rivers of the country are flowing below the danger levels.
It said the water level of the Manu River was increasing, Kushiyara River stable and the other major rivers in the northeastern region were falling.
According to meteorological agencies, there is no possibility of heavy rainfall in the northeastern and eastern regions of the country and adjacent uplands in the next two days.
As a result, the water level of Manu, Khoai, Feni, Muhuri, Gomti, Titas rivers in this region might decrease further.
The water level of major rivers in the south-eastern part of the country was decreasing overall.
According to information from meteorological agencies, heavy rain is not expected in the southeast region of the country and adjacent uplands in the next two days.
During this period, the water level of Sangu, Matamuhuri, Karnaphuli, Halda and other major rivers in the region may decrease.
Brahmaputra-Jamuna river water level was also receding, Ganga-Padma river water level was stable and Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers in northern region have normal flow, which might continue for next 48 hours, said the FFWC.
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