SUKANTA HALDER

Consecutive days of rainfall across the country recently have brought some relief to farmers struggling to irrigate crops -- mostly Boro rice -- amid the supply shortage of fuel oil gripping the nation.

The government had restricted fuel supply for a few days earlier this month. Even after the fuel purchasing cap was withdrawn, supply remained strained, and farmers struggled to run pumps to irrigate their fields.

After the rainstorms, farmers say they no longer need to worry about the fuel shortage, as there is now standing water in the fields, cutting the need to pump up groundwater.

Jamal Mia, a farmer from Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila, said he has cultivated Boro rice on four acres this season, and has faced difficulties irrigating his fields for a few days due to the ongoing diesel shortage.

However, the recent rainfall over the past few days has brought much-needed relief, he said.

Md Omar Faruq, a meteorologist at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), said that rainfall was recorded in multiple districts over the past seven days, with varying intensities.

Sylhet received 53 millimetres (mm) of rain between 6:00 am and 12:00 am yesterday. The previous day saw the highest rainfall in Dinajpur (48 mm), followed by Rangpur (40 mm), Saidpur (30 mm), and Rajarhat in Kurigram (29 mm), he told The Daily Star.

He added that Tangail recorded 21 mm the day before, while Manikganj had 51 mm on Thursday.

Earlier, Netrokona received 34 mm on Tuesday. Panchagarh saw 26 mm on the 21st of this month after a dry spell, he