Official figures recorded at the health directorate indicate that the current diarrhoea outbreak has not yet reached an epidemic stage, although experts describe the unusual outbreak of the waterborne disease as alarming. Considering the rate of the attacks, it is an epidemic, which the government tends to hide, they say.

Referring to statistics, Prof Mizanur Rahman, director general of health services, said, "The number of people so far affected by diarrhoea this year is far less than that of last year. The epidemic reported in media is not true, but the trend in diarrhoea outbreak is worrisome."

The health directorate said 18.66 lakh people fell sick from the disease in 2001, 25.99 lakh in 2002 and 22.87 lakh in 2003, but 1.11 lakh people were so far affected this year.

"Figures often don't show the true story. This year's figures represent the patients treated at government outlets by paramedics and doctors. But we've witnessed thousands of people suffering from quick fluid loss and falling seriously sick. No-one, particularly from the remote areas, has time to register the sickness with the government," said a leading epidemiologist asking not to be named.

"Forced to drink contaminated water in the flood-hit areas, hundreds of people, mostly children, are falling sick who often cannot travel to medical camps for treatment. So the true number of people suffering from diarrhoea may be at least three to four times higher," he added.

Diarrhoea outbreak has become quite serious in the flood-ravaged areas since July 12, said the health directorate, claiming it has enough medicines in stock to address the problem.

Since Thursday, 7,018 people, 1,971 of them fell sick yesterday, have meanwhile been affected by dysentery, an infection of the intestine. As many as 91 people fell sick from jaundice, while 3,260 people were affected by various skin diseases yesterday.