Flood Relief
BNP leaders, activists being obstructed from distributing flood relief: Tuku
BNP on Monday alleged that while people in the flood-affected northeast region have been crying for food and medicines, the party is being obstructed from carrying out relief efforts by the ruling party and law enforcers.
“The air in the country’s Sylhet, Mymensingh and Rangpur divisions has become heavy with cries of the flood victims, but the government’s assistance for them is extremely inadequate,” said party standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku.
Speaking at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, he called upon all to come forward to serve humanity rising above politics at this bad time in the country.
Also read: BNP for permanent solution to recurring floods in Sylhet region
As a party of people, the Tuku said BNP has already stood by the flood-hit people in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Kishoreganj, Feni, Netrokona and Kurigram.
He bemoaned that the ruling party activists and police have been obstructing the BNP leaders and activists from distributing relief materials among the flood victims.
Tuku, the convener of BNP’s relief committee, said people in the flood-hit areas are starving for lack of food and they are suffering from various diseases for lack of treatment and medicines.
“At this time, they (AL activists) are impeding the distribution of relief materials by BNP. They are attacking our preparatory meeting on relief distribution with sticks and firearms, injuring our leaders and workers while police are foiling our programmes,” he said.
The BNP leader said people are venting their anger by saying that they are not getting relief from the government.
Apart from relief, he said people are facing an acute shortage of medicines due to the outbreak of the water-borne disease.
“Skin diseases are now seriously spreading in the flood-hit Haor areas. For lack of medicine, flood victims are applying turmeric and kerosene oil to their bodies. I saw it with my own eyes. It can’t be understood the real scenario without visiting the areas. The situation there is terrible there,” Tuku observed.
He said the government is not giving attention to the sufferings of the flood victims. “The welfare of the people is no longer the goal of this regime. Their focus is on mega projects from where they make a hefty profit.”
Also read: BNP blames govt for fresh spike in Covid cases
The BNP leader claimed that their party leaders and activists have already helped over one lakh flood-hit families with relief materials and in various ways, including moving the victims to flood shelters, providing treatment, medicines, making houses and giving the farmers seeds. “We’ve continued these activities.”
US to provide emergency flood relief for people in northern Bangladesh:Envoy
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing over Tk 2.3 crore ($244,680) of emergency funding to deliver critical relief to families and communities hit hardest by floods.The emergency support is coming in response to record-level rainfall and catastrophic flooding across areas of northern Bangladesh.
Read: Flood claims 22 lives in Sylhet division in 7 days, says divisional health director“Some of these areas have not seen floodwaters like this for over 120 years. The United States continues to stand by the government and the people of Bangladesh during these challenging times and will support our partners on the ground to deliver crucial assistance to people in areas most affected by the deluge,” said U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Helen LaFave on Wednesday.
Man injured while receiving flood relief dies in Sylhet
A 45-year-old man who sustained injuries while collecting relief thrown from a helicopter of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) in Tahipur upazila in Sunamganj on Monday died at a hospital in Sylhet on Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Biplab Mia, son of Shahid Ali of Tahirpur upazila.
Matiur Rahman Moti, former member of Tahirpur union, said BAF members distributed relief materials among the flood victims from a helicopter at Sheikh Russel Mini Stadium at Tahirpur upazila headquarters on Monday.
Six people including Biplab suffered injuries while they were scrambling for the relief materials.
The injured were taken to Tahirpur Upazila Health Complex.
Read: Flood situation worsens in Kurigram, over 2 lakh affected
Of the injured, Biplab, father of two sons and two daughters, was shifted to Ragib Rabeya Medical College on Monday night where he succumbed to his injures around 9 am on Tuesday.
59 incidents of relief irregularities reported, says Enamur
There have been 59 reported incidents of corruption in relief distribution across the country in various projects, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman has said.
No new deaths, but over 5.4 million facing adverse effects of flood
Around 11.14 lakh families have been affected and remain waterlogged, while 135 lives have so far been lost in the country’s current bout of flooding that set in during the last week of June.