Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inspected the flood situation in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona and adjacent areas. She witnessed the flood situation for herself as the helicopter carrying her hovered maintaining “low fly mode”. Later, she landed at the Sylhet Osmani International Airport and then went to Sylhet Circuit house, where she held a meeting with the divisional and district administration as well as local Awami League leaders.
Sheikh Hasina ordered them to stand by the distressed people during this crisis, saying her government has taken all out measures to help people and mitigate their sufferings during this crisis time. The local administrations have also been asked to prepare a list of affected people, who will be given government aids and cash money.
The government earlier called out army troops to cooperate the civil administration in evacuating people or reaching support to marooned people while navy and air force units subsequently were summoned particularly in northeastern Sylhet region. It has already allocated Taka 22.5 million cash, 400 metric tons of rice and 41,000 packets of dry and other foods as immediate humanitarian aid to deputy commissioners of flood-hit districts.
The government will have to take stern action against the
union parishad chairmen and councilors if they get involved
in manipulating the list of the affected people
Country’s north and northeast people have to survive fighting with natural disasters especially devastating flood every year. The heaviest rainfall in 122 years has triggered floods in Sylhet, Sunamganj and other adjacent districts of the north and northeast region, rendering thousands of people homeless. People in affected districts have been passing through an inhuman life for want of food, shelter and safe water. Many houses, fish ponds, poultry farms and cattle were washed away by the devastating deluge while huge croplands went under floodwater. Apart from government, political leaders and workers, public representatives and affluent people will also have to stand by the marooned people. We believe the affected people will get adequate relief materials and other aids to survive alongside cash money to repair or build their damaged houses.
Therefore, deputy commissioners and upazila nirbahi officers in association with local public representatives like lawmakers, upazila chairmen, municipality chairmen, union parishad chairmen and councillors must be transparent and accountable in the process of enlisting the names of affected people.
It may be mentioned that many solvent people, including government employees and local public representatives were selected for getting reliefs instead of real affected ones during natural disasters in the past. We have seen that the union parishad chairmen and councillors manipulated the list to include the names of their near ones. No irregularities and nepotism should be tolerated in this regard this time. The government will also have to take stern action against the union parishad chairmen and councilors if they get involved in manipulating the list of the affected people.