Individuals, businesses, real-estate developers, organisations, and even government agencies have gobbled up 1,072 acres (57pc) of the 1,879-acre flood flow zones in core Dhaka city in this decade, said leading urban planners yesterday.

Floodwaters rushing down from highlands in India have inundated much of the low lying areas of Sylhet and Sunamganj districts.

As flood water recedes, thousands of affected families, from two districts in Sylhet division, are returning home only to see their dwellings ravaged by the deluge.