Dhaka, May 3 -- In Sunamganj and Netrokona, vast stretches of Haor now lie submerged under water, swallowing the only crop many farmers depend on for the entire year -- Boro paddy.

While the waters began creeping in early April, three days of relentless downpours starting Apr 29 unleashed a final, devastating blow.

The farmers watched their hopes sink beneath rising floodwater.

For the farmers, it is not just grain that is lost, it is the sweat of their brows and the survival of their families.

In some places, farmers managed to harvest a portion of their crop. But the absence of sunlight has made drying nearly impossible, with harvested paddy sprouting and rotting in yards.

To salvage what they can, some have begun boiling immature ...