According to latest government estimates, the ongoing floods in Bangladesh have washed away nearly 133,000 MT of rice that was about to be harvested.

The floods that swept two-thirds of the country for nearly three weeks are receding, but most areas would remain waterlogged for weeks more, delaying fresh cultivation.

The recent floods are second only to the ones in 2004 in which more than half of the country was flooded and the damage was estimated at $2 billion, including agriculture production loss worth about $500 million.