Nearly 2 million people stranded as second wave of devastating floods hits Bangladesh in less than a month

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CNN . . Extensive flooding has stranded about 1.8 million people in northeast Bangladesh, following weeks of heavy rains that have submerged homes and devastated farmland, according to state media and humanitarian agencies.. . Video shows large swathes of Sylhet cityand the nearby town of Sunamganj underwater in the second wave of flooding to hit the region in less than a month, state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported Saturday.. ..

The widespread flooding was triggered by prolongedtorrential rain and water runoff from the hilly regions upstream on the border with India, which caused four rivers to swell beyond their danger marks, the Water Development Board said last week, according to local media.. . Villagers in the hardest-hit low-lying areas of Sylhet could be seen wading through chest-deep water and heaping their belongings into piles to protect them from the muddy waters.. ..

It said about 2.25 million people have been affected by the flash floods, which have left 12,000 people in the region without power.. . Khondoker Golam Tawhid, program head of BRACs Disaster Risk Management Program said flooding in the country is becoming more dangerous with huge losses to livelihoods, biodiversity and infrastructure and interruption to schooling and health services...

Meanwhile, fish farmers have faced significant losses as floodwaters wash away thousands of farms and ponds, with local media reporting an economic toll of over $11.4 million.. . Densely populated and low-lying Bangladesh is prone to seasonal rains, flooding and cyclones.. ..

The humanitarian group noted that the monsoon season in Bangladesh has only just started and will last for the next two months, with the potential to bring more heavy rains, landslides and flooding.. . Landslides, heavy rains and flooding have also hit the neighboring Indian state of Assam, affecting more than 4 million people, according to Save the Children.. ..

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