Dhaka: Onrush of water from the upstream and heavy rainfall over the last couple of days flooded the haor and low-lying areas of Habiganj, Moulvibazar and Sunamganj districts.

The floods caused by endless rainfall and onrush of water from upstream have submerged 20,000 hectares of boro paddy in a good numbers of haors of  Ajimiriganj, Baniachong and Lakhai upazilas and low-lying areas of Bahubal, Chunarughat, Sadar, and Nabiganj upazilas in Habiganj district

Locals said the water entered in the haors of the seven upazilas overflowing river water from Kushiyara River, Bheramohna River and Basira River in Ajmiriganj upazila due to the seven-day long heavy rainfall.

In Moulvibazar, the several hectares of boro paddy were inundated in Hakaluki, Kawadighi and Hail haors of seven upazilas of the district due to the flash floods.

M Shahjahan, deputy director of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Moulvibazar, said they are assessing the extent of losses from the heavy rainfall and onrush of water from upstream. 

In Sunamganj, the flash floods also submerged 1.5 lakh hectares of boro paddy in eight upazilas out of 11.

Meanwhile, Haor Rokkha Andolon (movement to protect wetlands), staged demonstration in Sylhet city on Wednesday to have their seven demands met, including the compensation and rehabilitation of the affected farmers and immediate declaration of the haor regions as poverty stricken areas and the punishment of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials and its contractors for constructing weak dam.       

Witnesses said the leaders and activists of the platform formed a human chain programme at the foot of Sylhet central Shaheed Minar in the afternoon to press their demands.

The demands include the selling of rice at Tk 10 per kilogram, providing agricultural inputs without fees, debt waiver of bank and NGO’s loan upto Tk 5,000, and providing soft loans in agriculture.    

Besides, Bangladesh Krishok Samity and Bangladesh Khetmojur Samity in a joint statement also made the same demand on Wednesday.

They alleged that the boro paddy has been inundated in haor areas of Sunamganj, Netrakona and Kishoreganj districts due to the negligence of the duty of (BWDB) officials as they did not set up the dams properly and timely.