DHAKA, (AFP) - Monsoon rains coupled with run off from hills in neighbouring India has swollen major rivers across Bangladesh, where fresh areas have been hit by floods, officials said Wednesday.

The mass circulation Ittefaq newspaper reported Wednesday that water was gushing into Bangladesh from India after the gates of the Farakka Barrage in India's West Bengal state on the river Ganges, were opened Tuesday to ease pressure on the dam. Officials also said the situation in Bangladesh's northeastern tea-growing areas had worsened Wednesday with new areas inundated.

Days of heavy monsoon rains and gushing waters from neighbouring India triggered the floods in Sylhet, Moulavibazar and Sunamganj districts, where two flood protection dams were threatened by swirling waters. Low-lying areas in some other areas of the three districts were flooded and most rivers in the area were flowing above what is considered the danger mark. Several thousand people were stranded in their homes, officials said. No casualties were reported, but the floods damaged crops and homes.

River water levels have risen in 34 of the 46 monitoring points across the country, mainly in the north, the meterological department said. Meterologist Kabir Ahmed earlier said the current situation was mainly due to excess water flows from flood-hit areas in India and Nepal, but the water flow might reduce later in the week with a break in monsoon rains.

Bangladesh, criss-crossed by some 230 rivers, is plagued by annual flooding. In 1998, the worst floods in a century devoured most of the country, causing millions of dollars in damage.