Low-lying areas in and around Sirajganj and some parts of Bogra might be inundated due to gradual increase in water levels of Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Ganges-Padma basins, sources in the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (WDB) said.

The inundation of those areas, however, is likely to be slow as those are not prone to flash floods because of the large rivers where water levels do not change that fast, said the FFWC official.

Officials at the Meteorology department told The Daily Star last night that rainfall in the northern region is likely to lose its intensity and reduce chances of floods downstream. Rain that has been forecast in the middle of the country and in Chittagong probably will not adversely affect the flood situation.

Rain forecast in Sylhet for the next few days, however, is likely to worsen the flood situation in the already inundated Moulvibazar, Habiganj and Sylhet districts. These districts are more prone to flash floods as small rivers like Manu and Dholai swell and break the banks easily during heavy rain.

Our Moulvibazar correspondent reports that, low-lying areas of Kulaura, Rajnagar and Kamalganj are still under water as flash floods from the rivers Manu and Dholai intensified by water coming down from across the border upstream, have caused breaches in several embankments on Thursday and Friday.

Water level of the Manu river fell below danger mark yesterday, but those of Surma and Kushiyara were above in Sylhet and normal in Sunamganj district.

Despite falls in water levels, residents of at least 60 villages from the inundated areas of those three upazillas are still stuck on the embankments, with most of their Aush crops destroyed by floodwater.

Concerned authorities have not yet estimated the losses inflicted by the floods in Moulvibazar, Habiganj or Sylhet.

Sylhet Division Development Action Council will hold a rally in Sylhet today to demand the government declare Moulvibazar, Habiganj and Sylhet districts as a 'disaster prone area'.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief allocated around Tk 14 lakh and food aid for the flood affected people of Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Sunamganj and Comilla.