Agriculture officials said seedbeds on about 5,000 acres in Galachipa upazila and 7,000 acres in Kalapara upazila are under water. The situation is the same in Bauphal, Dashmina and Bangalrli areas.

The situation is worse in coastal areas including Char Baret and Char Miajan.

Heavy rains and waters overflowing the rivers have turned cultivable lands into vast sheets of water, with no sign of immediate improvement, they said.

At places, embankments for fish cultivation have made water stagnant, worsening the situation.

Transplantation aman seedlings normally begins from the second week of June. But this year, as most of the seedbeds have been damaged, there will be acute crisis of seedlings and vast areas may remain fallow, they apprehend.

Late sowing produces bad yield, they said.

In Golachipa and Kalapara upazilas, aman is cultivated on about 65,000 and 23,000 acres. But two-thirds of the lands are still under water, which is unlikely to recede in next fifteen days, the officials said.

During a recent visit to the areas by this correspondent, many farmers said water is stagnant on vast areas as some influential persons are using sluice gates in embankments for fish cultivation.

Nurjahan Begum, a female member of Latachapli Union Parishad said she along with local people cut a small embankment to remove water.

Saline water has entered some coastal areas as protection embankments have breached at several points.