, June 23 -- Water levels in the Teesta River continued to rise on Tuesday due to heavy rainfall and upstream inflows, bringing the river close to the danger mark and inundating low-lying areas in several northern districts.

At least 6,000 families living in char areas of Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Gaibandha districts have become stranded by floodwaters, said Ahsan Habib, Superintendent Engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).

With water pressure increasing, authorities have opened all 44 gates of the Teesta Barrage at Dalia in Lalmonirhat's Hatibandha upazila to regulate the flow.

BWDB officials said the river was flowing 15 centimetres below the danger level at the Dalia point at 12pm on Tuesday, with a recorded...