AL for nat'l unity to tackle post-cyclone situation, wants Hasina's release

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Awami League acting president Zillur Rahman speaking at a press conference in the city Sunday. — FocusBangla Photo

Awami League (AL) Sunday urged the caretaker government (CG) to forge a national unity by freeing detained party president Sheikh Hasina to overcome the 'worst situation' caused by the November 15 cyclone in the country, reports UNB.
"Only state efforts are not enough to ensure effective relief and rehabilitation work to overcome the situation, participation of all sections of the society is also essential," acting AL president Zillur Rahman told a press conference at the party's Dhanmondi office.
"Had Sheikh Hasina been present among the people at this critical moment, it would have been easier to forge a national unity to ensure mass scale participation of the people in the relief activities," the AL leader observed.
Describing the situation in the Sidr-affected areas as the worst, Zillur said their demand for the CG to declare the post-cyclone situation as 'national disaster' has been proved right.
To ensure effective management of the post-cyclone situation, Zillur put forward some recommendations, including sanctioning fresh farm loans for the affected farmers and providing VGF card for all families in the affected areas.
He demanded that NGOs waive all the interests on their loans and sanction new long-term loans for the affected people for reconstruction of their factories, business centres and dairy and poultry farms.
The AL also recommended re-excavation of ponds in the cyclone-affected areas to ensure the availability of pure drinking water and setting up of temporary medical centres for providing healthcare services to the distressed people and supplying adequate food and winter clothes, construction materials and agri-inputs.
He called for free supply of books and other educational materials for the students and immediate restoration of electricity supply and communication system in the cyclone-hit areas.
Zillur recommended building more shelter centres in the coastal areas, creating employment opportunities for the distressed people and launching a food-for-work programme immediately.
He alleged that the people of the coastal areas got confused due to wrong storm-signalling system and urged the authorities concerned to develop the existing signalling system and make it simpler so that people could understand the pre-storm signal easily.
He said the government should strengthen the afforestation programme in the coastal areas and undertake various development programmes alongside the relief distribution and rehabilitation work.
Zillur alleged that a certain political party was using Red Cross for its own interest damaging the reputation of this international organisation.
Party leaders Abdur Razzak, Tofaiel Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Motia Chowdhury, Syed Ashraful Islam, Mukul Bose, Abdul Mannan, Akhtaruzzaman, Mahamudur Rahman Manna, Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, Nazma Rahman, Abdul Mannan Khan, Col (retd) Faruq Khan and Dipu Moni, among others, were present at the press conference.