Stand beside flood victims

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government was tackling the ongoing flood situation and called upon the affluent to stand by the affected.

"I want those who are well-off in society to stand by the country's flood-affected people," she said at her office while receiving cheques of donations from various government and private organisations to her relief and welfare fund.

Mentioning that natural disaster is a regular phenomenon in the country, Hasina said, "We'll have to move ahead braving these natural disasters."

The PM said the current flood was causing colossal damage to crops, while river erosion was affecting many people.

Hasina said her government always put emphasis on facing natural disasters like flood, drought and tidal surge prudently alongside making it sure that there was no loss of life and property. "Our government is very much aware in this regard."

The PM said her government was also very much alert and working relentlessly about the possible steps in case of any disaster like flood and heavy rains after receiving forecast and early warnings.

About the donations, she said those would help fulfill the demand of food and other demands of the flood victims and rebuild their damaged houses.

Hasina said it was the decision of her government to rehabilitate those affected by the flood. "We've taken all kinds of steps to rehabilitate the flood victims so that the farmers can start cultivating crops afresh once the floodwater recedes."

She mentioned that the government was sending enough relief materials to the flood-hit areas. Various private organisations were also working there, she added.

Extending her sincere thanks to the power and the internal resources divisions and other organisations for giving their donations to her relief and welfare fund, Hasina said the donations from this fund were usually used for the welfare of the various section of people to meet their needs.

Those who donated to the Prime Minister's Relief and Welfare Fund are the Power Division and the organisations under it, the Internal Resources Division, the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, Shippers' Council of Bangladesh and Western Engineering (Pvt) Ltd.

Earlier, the PM gave financial assistance to the families of a Rapid Action Battalion member, two police inspectors and two activists of Chhatra League who were killed when militants hurled bombs at them during an anti-militancy drive at Atia Mahal in Shibbari area of Sylhet on March 25.

Hasina handed over cheques for financial assistance to Rab official Lt Col Abul Kalam Azad's mother Sayeeda Karim and wife Suraiya Sultana, police inspector Monirul Islam's mother Feroza Khatun and wife Parveen Akhtar, police inspector Abu Koysar's wife Saira Farhana Chowdhury, BCL activist Wahidul's mother Sultana Akhtar and BCL activist Jannatul Fahim's father Kamal Ahmed Kabul.

About the family members of the victims of Atia Mahal operation, the PM said she had no words to console those who lost their near and dear ones as their losses could never be compensated.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, PM's advisers HT Imam and Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid, IGP AKM Shahidul Hoque, National Board of Revenue Chairman Nojibur Rahman, Rab Director General Benazir Ahmed and Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, among others, were present on the occasion.