[ALOCHONA] Cyclone Sidr: Foreign forces provide help

Foreign forces won’t stay a single day more than required: Matin
United News of Bangladesh . Barisal

 

The communications adviser, MA Matin, has said the foreign forces, including US Marines, have come to Bangladesh to serve distressed people and won’t stay a single day more than required for relief and rehabilitation work.

Narrating his experience gleaned during the 1991 cyclone, when he was in service of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, Matin said at that time the US armed forces also stood beside the affected people of this country.

The adviser also in charge of coordinating relief and rehabilitation activities in the cyclone-affected areas, made the observations at Barisal Airport on Monday noon during a short break on his way to Barguna.

‘At that time we gathered experience from the US force — which they did within 10/12 days could have taken many more days in doing by us,’ he said.

‘They are serving for the sake of ours, so there is no scope for any confusion or question about the aims, works and stay of the foreign forces in Bangladesh,’ said Matin, who also heads the national coordination committee against serious crime and corruption in the interim period.

Four teams of Marines of the US Navy started work at Southkhali and Dublarchar of Bagerhat, Bamna of Barguna and Kalapara, Rangabali and Dashmina of Patuakhali.

They have already arranged purification and supply of drinking water with relief items and medical aid and soon will open a 125-bed hospital in Mirzaganj upazila headquarters for treatment of diarrhoea before it can spread as an epidemic.

Besides, a 104-member-strong team of Pakistan Army medical corps with ambulances, medicines and other medical equipment are working in Mathbaria, Zianagar and Patharghata upazilas and adjacent areas.

A 30-bed field hospital of the Pak Army has been set up with operation theatre in Bhandaria upazila town of Pirojpur to serve the storm-stricken people of the region, the central relief and rehabilitation coordinator told his audience at the relief headquarters (Barisal).

In the Sidr-affected areas 424 medical teams are working and relief and rehabilitation works, including repair and construction of houses and communications, also going on with the help of Bangladesh Armed Forces.

Two more helicopters, carrying 2,500 gallons of drinking water, left Barisal Airport for the affected areas on Monday. Four planes of Bangladesh Armed Forces offloaded 50 tonnes of medicines, blankets and other relief supplies for the Sidr-distressed people the same day.

The distressed fishermen and farmers would be provided with easy-term bank loans and other help for their rehabilitation, the advisor informed.

‘Any indiscipline, mismanagement, corruption, misappropriation of money and black marketing in relief works and items, hike and manipulation of price and hoarding of essential commodities would be tackled hardly,’ he said on a note of caution.

After the briefing, the adviser left Barisal Airport by a helicopter to visit the storm-ravaged areas of Barguna, one of the coastal districts worst hit by the cyclone that took a toll of several thousand people dead and devastated the country’s south-western coastal localities.

Major General Rafiqul Islam, general commanding officer of 55 division of the army, was present during the visit.

 

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