United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday directed the authorities concerned to prepare a transparent and accurate list of farmers affected by recent heavy rainfall in the haor region, ensuring that financial assistance reaches the genuine victims promptly. The directive came at a meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat in the afternoon. The meeting reviewed the government’s planned support programme for farmers in the haor areas who suffered crop losses due to recent heavy rains, said a release issued by the Prime Minister’s Press Wing. “The Prime Minister said the authorities must identify the actual affected farmers and prepare a correct and transparent list. Financial assistance will be provided to the farmers for the next three months based on this list,” it said. The meeting decided that the affected farmers will be provided with financial assistance very swiftly, soon after the completion of the list. The meeting also discussed slightly advancing the paddy planting and harvesting seasons to help farmers avoid losses caused by heavy rainfall. On April 29, while speaking in parliament, the Prime Minister said the government would try to provide three months of assistance to farmers affected by heavy rainfall in the haor region. Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu and Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Aminur Rashid Yasin attended the meeting. MPs from the haor region including Deputy Speaker of Parliament Barrister Kaiser Kamal, State Minister for Textiles and Jute Shariful Alam, Dr Osman Faruk, Fazlur Rahman, Lutfuzzaman Babar, Kamruzzaman Kamrul, Nurul Islam, Kalim Uddin Milon and Kaisar M Ahmed were, among others, present at the meeting.