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| Floods 2004 |
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Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday said the government was assessing the post-flood rehabilitation work before making any international appeal for foreign assistance. "We are distributing adequate emergency relief and estimating the need for rehabilitation," she said, responding to a query whether the government is going to seek international assistance for flood relief and rehabilitation work. The prime minister told the accompanying journalists during her visit to flood affected Sunamganj and Habiganj districts that seeking foreign aid without proper assessment would not be beneficial. Earlier, addressing the flood victims who have taken refuge at Habiganj Boys High School, she urged all, including the opposition political parties, NGOs and the affluent people to come forward in mitigating the sufferings of the millions. "This is the time to stand by the affected people. They will remember it," Khaleda said pointing at the opposition political parties. The prime minister assured the flood-hit people of house building loans and increased distribution of vulnerable group feeding (VGF) cards. "We've to rebuild roads, embankments and other infrastructures," she said hinting at the employment opportunities ahead as part of the post-flood rehabilitation programme. Deputy Commisioner of Habiganj briefed the prime minister about the flood situation in the district when her helicopter had to land on the road near Shutang Bridge finding no other suitable ground. The flood has engulfed all the eight upazilas of the district. The prime minister first visited Sunamganj, which experienced its worst flood in recent times. Elderly people of the small district town said they had seen the severe flooding in 1974, 1988 and 1998, but this time it was worse than ever. She addressed a gathering of flood-hit people at Jubilee School and later distributed relief materials among them. She also distributed relief among the affected people sheltered at the Collectorate Building and the Judge's Court premises in the town. The prime minister, while addressing the district officials at Sunamganj Circuit House, warned that no irregularities in relief and rehabilitation work would be tolerated. When she asked the deputy commissioner (DC) about situation in his district, the DC informed that cases were filed against four people Monday night for alleged irregularities in relief operations. One person has been arrested in this regard. Khaleda asked the officials to be vigilant that the "food meant for the poor and distressed is not misused or misappropriated." Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman, Prime Minister's Political Secretary Harris Chowdhury, Whip Fazlul Huq Asfia, Kalimuddin Milon MP, Nazir Hassan MP and Khaleda Rabbani MP accompanied the prime minister during her visit to the affected areas.
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