Prime Minister Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif, expressing sorrow and grief over recent devastating floods, on Friday offered assistance to Bangladesh to help cope with the situation, state-run APP reported.

In a letter to Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, Dr Muhammad Yunus, PM Shehbaz expressed Pakistan’s solidarity with Bangladesh during the challenging time, stating that Pakistani nation stood with those who lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods in the floods, said a press release issued by the PM’s Office.

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At least 13 people in Bangladesh have been killed and 4.5 million affected by floods triggered by heavy rains, the disaster management and relief ministry said on Friday, AFP reported.

Nearly 190,000 others were taken to emergency relief shelters, according to a bulletin from the disaster ministry.

PM Shehbaz affirmed Pakistan’s readiness to offer any assistance, needed by Bangladesh.

Altogether, 11 of the country’s 64 districts were affected by the flooding, the bulletin added.

Feni, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) northwest of the main port city of Chittagong, was worst-hit.

“It’s a catastrophic situation here,” rescue volunteer Zahed Hossain Bhuiya, 35, told AFP in Feni. “We are trying to rescue as many people as we can.”