Urgent steps to protect lives of 0.4m Sandwip people urged
FE Report | Friday, 25 July 2008
Local government representatives and elite of Sandwip have urged the government for taking immediate steps to protect the lives of around 0.4 million people living in the island, who have been struggling against natural calamities over the years.
They put forward a 17-point demand to the government at a press conference in Dhaka Tuesday. These include measures against erosion threatening the existence of the island, in the Bay of Bengal.
The other demands are construction of new sluice gate, setting up of a police station, building of road and development of waterway connectivity with mainland, establishment of power plant and deployment of coastguard to ensure a better life for the people living in desolate island.
Apart from this, they also called for connecting Sandwip with national power grid and offering better health care facilities.
Abul Bashar, Sandwip Pourashava chariman, Hafizur Rahman, Union parishad chairman of Mike Banga, Walidur Rahamn, chairman of Gachua Union Parishad, Kazi Md Arif, chairman of Harishpur, engineer Abul Kalam Azad, Md Alamgir, among others, were present at the press conference.
Speaking on the occasion, coordinator of the programme Nurul Akter said there are some health complexes without required numbers of doctors and other manpower.
He said people of Sandwip are vulnerable to natural calamities as there is no emergency shelter for them.
"Several thousands died in 1988 and 1991 when the country was hit by cyclones," he said.
Of total population of the island, Mr Akter said, around 37 per cent live abroad, who are sending the much-needed hard currency to the country.
Despite the contribution of the people of this island to the national economy, he said, they are deprived of most required facilities.
He further said there is potential of development of tourism in the island, endowed with natural beauty.
They put forward a 17-point demand to the government at a press conference in Dhaka Tuesday. These include measures against erosion threatening the existence of the island, in the Bay of Bengal.
The other demands are construction of new sluice gate, setting up of a police station, building of road and development of waterway connectivity with mainland, establishment of power plant and deployment of coastguard to ensure a better life for the people living in desolate island.
Apart from this, they also called for connecting Sandwip with national power grid and offering better health care facilities.
Abul Bashar, Sandwip Pourashava chariman, Hafizur Rahman, Union parishad chairman of Mike Banga, Walidur Rahamn, chairman of Gachua Union Parishad, Kazi Md Arif, chairman of Harishpur, engineer Abul Kalam Azad, Md Alamgir, among others, were present at the press conference.
Speaking on the occasion, coordinator of the programme Nurul Akter said there are some health complexes without required numbers of doctors and other manpower.
He said people of Sandwip are vulnerable to natural calamities as there is no emergency shelter for them.
"Several thousands died in 1988 and 1991 when the country was hit by cyclones," he said.
Of total population of the island, Mr Akter said, around 37 per cent live abroad, who are sending the much-needed hard currency to the country.
Despite the contribution of the people of this island to the national economy, he said, they are deprived of most required facilities.
He further said there is potential of development of tourism in the island, endowed with natural beauty.