Continuous rainfall and flash floods driven by runoff from upstream hills have damaged thousands of hectares of farmland across Bangladesh, raising concerns over agricultural production as forecasters warn of more heavy rain in the coming days.
Official figures from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) show that, as of Saturday, more than 28,610 hectares of cropland in 12 districts had been affected by flooding and persistent rainfall.
A preliminary assessment also indicates that almost 500,000 hectares of agricultural land remain waterlogged, increasing the risk of further losses if floodwaters fail to recede.
The worst-affected areas include Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Bandarban, Sunamganj, Sirajganj, Habiganj, Naogaon, Jashore, Chuadanga and Meherpur.
Floodwaters have submerged a wide range of crops, including Aus paddy, Aman seedbeds, jute, summer vegetables, chilli, ginger, turmeric and fruit orchards. Farmers say prolonged flooding could severely reduce yields, particularly if young crops remain underwater for several more days.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has forecast very heavy rainfall on Sunday across six divisions, Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet, raising the possibility that flooding could spread or persist in many agricultural areas.
The fisheries sector has also been affected. In Chattogram alone, the district fisheries office reported damage to 9,933 ponds and other water bodies, along with 320 shrimp farms across 153 unions in 15 upazilas. Fish farming on almost 4,100 hectares of water bodies has been disrupted after floodwaters swept away fish stocks.
The Ministry of Agriculture said local authorities are preparing lists of affected farmers at the union and ward level so financial and agricultural assistance can be distributed once damage assessments are completed.
Speaking in Cumilla on Saturday, Agriculture and Livestock Adviser Mohammad Aminur Rashid Yasin said the government was ready to support farmers after the assessment process was finished.
He said the overall impact on national agricultural production was not expected to be severe at this stage, noting that the Boro harvest had already been completed. While Aman transplantation has started, he estimated that around a quarter of newly transplanted seedlings had been affected by the flooding.
He warned that seedlings could rot if they remained submerged for an extended period but said the ministry had already prepared contingency measures to prevent shortages.
Authorities are assessing the extent of damaged paddy fields while producing replacement seedlings on higher ground, with plans to supply farmers who no longer have seed paddy available for replanting.
Despite those assurances, many farmers remain concerned. They say that if floodwaters stay in their fields for another four to five days, Aus's paddy and vegetable crops could suffer widespread destruction, leaving many farming households facing significant financial losses.
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