Relief Situation in Sunamganj: Line for help gets longer

Around a thousand people gathered in front of Bishwambarpur upazila parishad complex on Friday morning to buy rice being sold as part of an Open Market Sale scheme without any idea who were to get the assistance.

Many of them were sitting far away from the long queue, rejected and dejected, as they didn't know the OMS dealer had scheduled different days for different villages.

Ironically, they didn't get the rice even on their scheduled date.

Hamida Khatun, 60,of Dhanpur village in the upazila was one of the villagers who were denied OMS rice twice.

Men wait outside another OMS point in Tahirpur upazila. The photos were taken on Friday. Photo: Dwoha Chowdhury

“I also came here on the day when we were scheduled to get the rice. But I returned empty-handed. I have come here again today with the hope if I get a chance,” she said.

She added she was not listed in the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme launched by the government for the haor people.

Like Hamida, Fazer Banu, a widow of 55,turned up from the same village with a faint hope to feed her seven-member family, but all she received was harsh refusal.

Sunamganj is the worst affected district of the recent flash flood that hit the northeastern region in the last week of March. The flash flood destroyed almost hundred percent of the Boro paddy in the haor areas.

Following destruction of their only annual crop, the people of the haor areas have been living in distress and are eagerly waiting for relief.

Abdul Jalil, 75, a freedom fighter from Dakshinkul Balijuri of Tahirpur upazila, was waiting in another long queue for OMS rice at Anwarpur Bazar in the upazila.

“I cultivated Boro on 2.5 acres of land in the Sanir Haor area but could barely save some rice to feed my 12-member family,” he lamented.

His name also did not appear on the VGF card and nobody was willing to take the responsibility as to why such anomaly occurred.

Abdur Rouf, acting district food controller, said the government had allotted only rice to be sold in open market at Tk 15 per kilogram. He added they did not have any plan yet to extend the programme to sell other items like oil or salt.

According to the Food Control Office, the OMS support has been spread to union level through appointment of one dealer each in 88 unions, one in 10 upazila headquarters, three in the Sadar upazila and one in nine municipalities each. The dealers are selling one tonne of rice each every day with condition that one person can buy maximum five kilograms at Tk 15 per kg.

The officials say 150,000 families will get the VGF support in the district -- 30kg rice and Tk 500 per month -- for three months.

Shukur Ali of Sahapur village in Bishwambarpur upazila admitted that he was getting the VGF support. He however claimed the amount was barely enough to feed his family.

“I have a family of six members. Neither 30kg rice nor Tk 500 a month is enough for us. Moreover, should we eat rice only? We need oil, salt and many other things to survive,” he said.

Kamruzzaman Kamrul, chairman of Tahirpur upazila, told The Daily Star, “My upazila alone has the demand for 50,000 VGF cards. But we have got only 15,400.”

“We need necessary VGF support, not only rice and Tk 500, for the distressed people. Besides, the scheme must continue for one year,” he observed.

Kasmir Reza, president of Paribesh O Haor Unnayan Sangstha, said the cries of haor people might not be visible in the media, but the demand for relief and other support was increasing every day.

Sheikh Rafiqul Islam, deputy commissioner of Sunamganj, claimed the support for the haor people was enough for the time, but the administration would seek more support from the government if need be.