Millions affected as 'catastrophic' flash floods hit Bangladesh

Flash floods wrought havoc in Bangladesh on Aug 23 as the country was recovering from weeks of political upheaval, with the death toll rising to 15 and millions more caught in the deluge.

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The South Asian nation of 170 million people, criss-crossed with hundreds of rivers, has seen frequent floods in recent decades.

Monsoon rains cause widespread destruction every year, but climate change is shifting weather patterns and increasing the number of extreme weather events.

"It's a catastrophic situation here," said rescue volunteer Zahed Hossain Bhuiya, 35, from the worst-hit city of Feni, in the country's south-east. "We are trying to rescue as many people as we can." Mr Nur Islam, a shopkeeper in Feni, said his home has been completely submerged.

"Everything is underwater," the 60-year-old added.

Much of Bangladesh is made up of deltas where Himalayan rivers, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra, wind towards the sea after coursing through India.

All major tributaries of the two transnational rivers were overflowing, according to local media reports.

In India's hard-hit Tripura state, more than 23 people have died in the floods since Aug 19, mostly in landslides.