Lalmonirhat, July 10 -- Water levels in the Teesta River in Lalmonirhat receded slightly on Friday morning after crossing the danger mark overnight due to upstream hill runoff and heavy rainfall. However, residents of low-lying riverbank areas remain on edge amid fears of a fresh spell of short-term flooding.

The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has opened all 44 sluice gates of the Teesta Barrage to regulate the rising flow as concerns grow over renewed flooding in the river's char (sandbar) areas.

At 6pm on Friday, the Teesta's water level at Dalia Point of the country's largest irrigation project, the Teesta Barrage, was flowing 16 centimetres below the danger level.

Just a day earlier, at 9pm on Thursday, the river had bee...