DHAKA Much of Bangladesh was hit by an opposition-led general strike on Monday as millions of people in the country's southwest battled severe flooding.
The opposition, which called the strike to protest against the murder of one of its leaders, said on Friday it would not enforce the strike in flood-hit areas to allow uninterrupted relief and rescue operations.
One leading daily, Jugantar said the floods had already killed more than 100 people.
police said at least 50 people were missing, feared drowned, after five fishing boats sank in the Bay of Bengal.
"The boats with at least 50 fishermen on board capsized during a rainstorm early today," police officer Mohammad Tareque told Reuters in the southern port city of Chittagong.
Continuous rain since Sunday has slowed efforts by soldiers and volunteers to rescue thousands of families marooned by the floods or get food and other supplies to them, officials said.
(Reuter)