Flood forecasters said nearly two lakh people were marooned in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Bogra and Sirajganj.

"More low-lying areas of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogra, Jamalpur, Sirajganj and Tangail districts are likely to be flooded," they added.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, however, said the pace of rising in water levels in the Brahmaputra and Jamuna slowed, but was flowing above danger levels at Chilmari and Bahadurabad yesterday morning.

It said as the situation in the eastern Indian state of Assam took a serious turn, the water levels in the rivers were likely to rise soon.

But floodwaters from Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvi Bazar, Habiganj and Comilla are likely to recede, improving the situation.

The Water Development Board said the Brahmaputra and Jamuna continued to rise further at all points except for Chilmari.

They said the Padma continued to rise at all points, but all rivers in the Meghna and southeastern hill basins registered further fall except for the Jadukata at Lorergarh and Meghna at Bhairab Bazar.

Our Bogra correspondent adds: The overall flood situation in Sharaiakandi upazila deteriorated yesterday as the onrush of floodwaters from upstream continued.

Floodwaters submerged more low-lying areas in the upazila and Chaulabari, Kajla, Hatsherpur, Shariakandi Sadar, Karnibari and Bohail took the hardest hits.

Our Sirajganj correspondent adds: Raging waters worsened the situation in the district.

The Flood Warning Centre said more areas were likely to go under water in the next 24 hours as the rivers continued to rise.

The gushing waters triggered river erosion in Bogra and some other places forcing people to shift to safer places.