The improvement of the flood situation is likely to continue across the country as all major rivers are in the falling trend, a Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) official told BSS yesterday. "Floodwater has started receding in the flood-hit districts of the country as the Brahmaputra-Jamuna and the Ganges-Padma river systems are in the falling trend," said FFWC Executive Engineer Md Sazzad Hossain. "We are forecasting that all major rivers are likely to flow normal within the next four to five days as the trend of less rainfall is seen in Bangladesh and upstream regions of India," he added.

Water level in the Brahmaputra-Jamuna is receding fast, meaning flood situation will significantly improve in northern parts of the country, Sazzad added.

According to the FFWC, water levels at 69 river stations have been marked fall on Friday (yesterday) while 20 stations recorded rise.

Among the 90 monitored water level stations, 22 river stations were registered flowing above the danger level, a bulletin issued by the FFWC said yesterday.

Water levels at 56 river stations have marked rise yesterday while 32 stations recorded fall and 17 were flowing above the

danger level. In Rajshahi, 11 government primary schools were devoured by river erosions in three districts under Rajshahi division during the current year’s flood.  Of the total devoured schools, eight are in Sirajganj, two in Bogra and one in Naogaon, divisional office of Department of Primary Education (DPE) said.

Onrush of waters from upstream region coupled with heavy monsoon largely grasped 20 out of 64 administrative districts claiming at least 20 lives amid fears of an impending severe deluge as major rivers had continued to surpass bank lines.

Disaster Management and Relief Ministry yesterday confirmed 20 flood related deaths while the deluge affected some 586,000 people in 20 districts forcing 368,586 of them to take refuge in makeshift shelters as the country witnesses the second round of floods since June this year.

In Faridpur, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Engineer Khandker Mosharraf Hossain yesterday said the flood victims would pay back the loans of NGOs after the next harvest.