DHAKA - Large swathes of northeastern Bangladesh were under water following heavy monsoon rains in neighbouring India.

Around 100 square kilometres (40 square miles) and an estimated 76,000 people were affected in seven sub-districts of the northeastern Sylhet region, said district relief officer Mohammed Mosao-Ir on Friday.

"The water is about one foot deep. The rivers are flowing above the danger level because of the rains upstream in India but so far there have been no reports of any casualties and communication links have not been cut," he said.

In the neighbouring Indian state of Assam flooding has forced nearly 500,000 people out of their homes and 16 people have died since the end of May.

Bangladesh, a low-lying delta nation which is criss-crossed by a network of 230 rivers, suffers regular floods with at least a fifth of the country inundated each year.

In July and August in 2004 flooding left more than 700 people dead and 38 percent of the country submerged, forcing millions to flee their homes.