Floods maroon tens of thousands in Bangladesh

Nearly 150,000 people have been stranded in their homes after heavy rains inundated northern Bangladesh, officials said today.

Some 3,000 people fled their homes and took shelter on mud embankments in hardest-hit Moulvibazar district, relief officials said.

The flooding has hit about 100,000 villagers in Moulvibazar, a farming district 100 miles north east of the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka.

Many of the victims have lost rice crops and livestock, and were confined to their homes. They can use only small boats for transportation.

The overflowing Khowai, Dhalai, Monu and Teesta rivers flooded dozens of new villages in Sylhet, Habiganj and Lalmonirhat districts, where up to 50,000 people have been marooned, officials said.

No flood-related deaths have been reported.

The flooding has caused widespread damage to crops and cut off roads, disrupting communication, officials said.

Bangladesh, a delta nation of 130 million people, is buffeted by seasonal floods. The monsoon usually starts from mid June.