Bangladesh is grappling with a devastating flood crisis, with entire villages in the north and north-east submerged under chest-deep water.
The situation is expected to deteriorate further as fresh rainfall upstream in India threatens to inundate new areas.
Triggered by torrential monsoon rains starting late June, the floods have caused widespread devastation.
Relentless monsoon rains have caused major rivers like the Teesta and Brahmaputra to breach their embankments, unleashing a torrent of water onto surrounding areas.
Homes have been submerged, entire villages cut off, and agricultural fields lie under muddy water, destroying crops ready for harvest.
Kurigram district, bordering India, bears the brunt of the initial surge, with reports of over 1 lakh people, or 100,000, affected.
In neighbouring Gaibandha, the Teesta River breached its embankment in Sundarganj on Thursday morning, submerging at least 15 villages.
The Ghaghat River in Saghata upazila followed suit, washing away parts of another embankment and leaving thousands stranded in 13 villages.
Similar scenes of despair are unfolding across Jamalpur, Sirajganj, and Bogura districts, painting a grim picture of widespread devastation.
The human cost of the floods is immense. Mazeda Begum, a resident of Kurigram, exemplifies the plight of countless families.
Holding her newborn baby amidst the deluge, she desperately searches for refuge after floodwater inundated her home.
Schools across the affected districts have been forced to close, disrupting education for thousands of children.
Asif Ahsan, Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board for the Rangpur region, warns that many of the affected areas are set to see the situation worsen over the next few days.
We ask the businesses and the government to contribute relief works and extend the relief activities in a priority basis.
The development works must be accomplished considering environment and bio-diversity.
A sustainable development policy must be in practice and get priority than the political showcasing of development and wasting money.