Monga grips Bangladeshi enclaves

The enclave people do not get any kind of help from the government of Bangladesh or of India due to complicated border law. This triggers their sufferings in the Bangla months of Ashwin and Kartik, forcing them on the brink of starvation for lack of food.

The residents of enclaves have been leading miserable lives deprived of relief and VGF, VGD and ration cards, since they have no voting rights.

Their miseries aggravate further when the chairman and members of the enclaves do not take note of them.

They could not enter the Bangladesh territory deluding the vigil eyes of the Indian Border Security Forces (BSF). This also deprives them of relief goods.

Abdul Jalil,40, Darul,35, Shahida, 45, Eshakh, 50, and Abul Haque, 48, at Karla enclave told BDNEWS that they do not have voting right, so they don't have any right.

On the other hand, the residents of South Moshaldangga in Bhurungamari which is only 84 feet away from the Bangladesh border, have been starving as they fear to move.

Sayed Ali,45, Motiar, 33, Hossain,56, Sohrab,60, and Abdur Rashid,55, said they managed to escape the enclave at night risking their lives for relief .

They said that nearly 6,000 people of the enclave are without jobs prompting them to sell their essentials, including cattle to Indian traders.

Besides, they have to eat the unhygienic food, including arum roots, causing the outbreak of diarrhoea in the area, they added.

They said they do not even get medicines in emergency.

Meanwhile, the residents of the other part of chit Karala in Phulbari upazila said they have been starving as they are to depend on agriculture to maintain their livelihood.

"We only heard the names of VGF, VGD and Ration Cards, but we are not so lucky to have any of these.

Abia,45, said she knows that she is a Bangladeshi, but never gets any relief or other supports.

Azizul Haque, chairman of Pathardubi, said they can not meet the demand of the main land due to insufficient supply of relief goods. How could they meet the demand of enclave?

Asked, Mahmud Hasan, upazila nirbahi officer of Phulbari, said they can not do anything for the enclave people due to bureaucratic complexities.