BY Md Mamun Islam
 
RANGPUR, June 23, 2026 (BSS) - Water levels of major rivers started showing a rising trend at lower rates, following onrush of water amid monsoon rains from upstream in the Brahmaputra basin during the last 24 hours till at 3 pm today.
 
Officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said water levels of the Teesta and Dharla increased, while the Dudhkumar water level decreased during the period. 
 
Water levels of these rivers may rise over the next 24 hours and remain stable during the following 48 hours.
 
Within the next 48 hours, these rivers may flow at the warning level in Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, and Rangpur districts, and adjacent low-lying floodplain areas may be temporarily inundated.
 
Following further moderate rise by 11 cm in the last 24 hours, water level of the Teesta temporarily crossed its danger level (DL) by 1 cm at Dalia point near the Teesta Barrage Project (TBP) in Dimla upazila of Nilphamari at 3 pm today.
 
"However, the Teesta was flowing below DL by 1 cm at Dalia at 6 pm today following a little fall of its water level there in the last three hours," Executive Engineer of the BWDB's Teesta Barrage Division Engineer Amitav Chowdhury told BSS at 7:30 pm.
 
As the rate of onrushing water from the upstream continues to decrease since this afternoon amid less rainfall, there is a less possibility of further deterioration of the situation along the Teesta in the next 24 hours, Engineer Chowdhury hoped.
 
According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC) of BWDB and meteorological agencies, heavy rainfall is likely over the next 72 hours in Rangpur, Sylhet, and Mymensingh divisions and in West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura.
 
During the following 48 hours, heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast over these areas.
 
During the last 24 hours, water levels of the Brahmaputra-Jamuna river system increased and may continue to rise over the next five days. However, they are expected to remain below the danger level.
 

The recorded rainfalls during the past 24 hours till 9am were 78mm at Khliehriat (Meghalaya), 60mm at Coochbehar (West Bengal), 53mm at Shella (Meghalaya) and Cherrapunji (Meghalaya) points of the upstream northwestern Indian states.
 
Besides, the recorded rainfalls were 57mm at Pateswari (Kurigram) and some drizzles at places in the Brahmaputra basin.
 
Water level of the Dharla was flowing below DL by 139cm at Kurigram point and Ghaghot was flowing below DL by 220cm at Gaibandha point at 3 pm today.
 
Following a little rise in its water level, the Brahmaputra was flowing below DL by 156cm at Noonkhawa , 161cm at Hatia and 143cm at Chilmari points at 3 pm today.
 
Besides, water levels of the Jamuna rose by 2 cm to 7 cnm at different points and were flowing below DL by 160cm at Fulchhari, 180cm at Bahadurabad, 178cm at Sariakandi, 252cm at Kazipur and 202 cm at Sirajganj points in Sirajganj at 3 pm today.
 
The Teesta was flowing below DL by 1 cm at Dalia point in Nilphamari and 29cm below DL at Kawnia point in Rangpur at 6 pm today.
    
In an interview with BSS at 7:30 pm, BWDB Rangpur Circle Superintending Engineer Md. Ahsan Habib said that although a flood situation has not arisen, some places in some low-lying floodplain areas with population have been partially flooded.
 
"Scattered incidents of river erosion have also been reported from various areas of the basin and we are closely monitoring the river situation and taking necessary steps," he added.