At least 14 people have died across Bangladesh after a series of lightning strikes swept the nation on Monday, officials confirmed. The fatalities occurred in various districts as sudden, intense thunderstorms brought heavy rainfall and powerful electrical discharges. Most of the victims were identified as farmers working in open fields and labourers caught in exposed outdoor locations, according to local authorities. Several others sustained injuries and were transported to nearby hospitals, with some reportedly in critical condition. Bangladesh, which declared lightning strikes a natural disaster in 2016, experiences hundreds of deaths annually from such events. This included a particularly severe period in May of that year when over 200 people perished, 82 on a single day. Experts say the rise in fatal lightning strikes is linked to deforestation, which has led to the disappearance of many tall trees that previously helped draw lightning away from people.…