Drenched Dhaka counts flood cost

Many roads are waist deep in water

Government offices in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, have reopened as floods which brought devastation on Tuesday begin to recede.

The authorities are now counting the cost of the latest floods, described as the worst to hit the city in decades.

Many main roads in the city are now water free, and traffic is returning.

Shops and businesses are gradually opening again, although the stock exchange will stay closed until next week because of water damage.

Black clouds disappearing

Water in the worst affected part of the city - the business district of Motijheel - has receded, and floods outside parliament and the prime minister's office have mostly disappeared.

Only areas of the old part of Dhaka remain under water.

An official from the Dhaka Water and Sewerage Authority said that more than 80% of streets and localities were now water free and that that Dhaka was slowly returning to normal.

Officials say that electricity, gas and telephone services are being restored in the worst affected areas.

DHAKA FACTS Founded: In 1608 as seat of the Imperial Mughal Viceroys of Bengal Population: Most estimates say between nine and 11m Area: 815.85 sq km Elevation: Varies from three to seven metres above sea level Homeless: The UN estimates around four million live in slums and shanties. Several thousand live on the streets Average rain: 2,540mm annually - about 80% between May and September

The BBC's Waliur Rahman says the weather is improving and that the black clouds which hovered over the city earlier this week are now starting to disappear.

Our correspondent says that some food markets and businesses were operating on Wednesday.

The deluge on Monday and Tuesday caused the second bout of flooding this monsoon season, and contained some of the heaviest rain the country has experienced for decades.

In July, Bangladesh experienced its worst floods in six years which left 600 people dead.

But just weeks after they had subsided, many areas of the country were once again under water.

Crops have been destroyed again in fields that had only just been replanted.

We recorded a daily average of over 300mm of rainfall - the highest since 1952 - in the last few days Dhaka Meteorological Office spokesman

In the second largest city, Chittagong, there were minor landslides.

The flooding began after days of relentless downpours.

The city of more than 10 million people experienced nearly 500mm of rainfall since Saturday, the largest downpour for more than 50 years.

After an emergency meeting, ministers announced that more pumps would be set up to try to drain the capital.

Navy personnel were asked to help in the drainage operation.

At least seven people have been killed in incidents connected with the floods, including some who were electrocuted.

More than 100,000 people were affected by waterborne diseases in the aftermath of July's floods.

The government estimated they caused around $7bn of damage.