Need for improved govt coordination

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There is an urgent need for enhancing the government’s concern about the unfolding flood in the country, according to an expert group consultation organised yesterday by the non-government think tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
The expert group also found it necessary to improve coordination among relevant government agencies and between government and non-government actors, and to instil an overall sense of confidence in the economy and society against the backdrop of the flood situation.

The government needs to make it explicit that it warmly welcomes involvement of NGOs, private sector bodies and other civil society organisations in relief and rehabilitation work, observed the CPD expert consultation.

The discussants said the government, on an urgent basis, needs to clarify its policy and programmatic approach towards facing the emerging flood. To this end, the chief adviser may call a meeting with the relevant and important actors in this field.

In line with the Standing Order on Disaster Management (2000), the disaster management committees at national, district and thana levels need to be immediately activated, the experts suggested.

“The government needs to mobilise development NGOs, community based organisations (CBOs), private sector bodies and concerned individual citizens and development partners towards relief activities. Local administration needs to gear up its initiating and coordinating role in this regard,” said a CPD press statement on the consultation.

It also said the government machinery should be fully geared to initiate the vulnerable group feeding (VGF) and vulnerable group development (VGD) activities programmed under the annual development programme (ADP) on a priority basis in flood affected areas.

The consultation was held in CPD’s dialogue room. The meeting was called to discuss the state of affairs in the context of the ongoing flood in the country and the possible consequences in terms of relief and rehabilitation activities.

The meeting focused on food stock and food security, probable damage to aman crop and its rehabilitation, activation of the private sector for food import and distribution, and involvement of non-government and community based organisations in relief and rehabilitation work, according to the press statement.

Chaired by Prof Rehman Sobhan, chairman of CPD, the meeting was attended by Dr Saadat Husain, chairman of the Public Service Commission, M Syeduzzaman, former finance minister; Syed Manzur Elahi, former adviser to a caretaker government, Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, former adviser to a caretaker government, Dr Mahabub Hossain, executive director of BRAC, M Aminuzzaman, president of the Bankers’ Association of Bangladesh, Dr Z Karim, former secretary to the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Quazi Shahabuddin, director general of BIDS, Khondkar Ibrahim Khaled, former deputy governor of the Bangladesh Bank, Dr Ainun Nishat, country representative of IUCN, Prof Abu Ahmed of Dhaka University, Fazlul Haque, president of BKMEA, Dr Mustafa Mujeri, professorial fellow at BIDS, Dr Rushidan Islam Rahman, research director of BIDS, Dr Sajjad Zohir, executive director of ERG, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, executive director of CPD, Prof Mustafizur Rahman, research director of CPD, Fatema Yousuf, additional director of CPD, Dr Uttam Deb, senior research fellow of CPD, and Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research fellow of CPD.

The government may consider an appeal to all interested citizens and organisations to donate to the chief adviser’s relief fund, the meeting said adding that the government may also invite international donor funding towards relief and rehabilitation activities. NGOs may be encouraged to tap into their international networks to generate resources for the purpose, said the discussants.

They observed that the government has to notify the public about public food stock and its distribution status in different thanas and districts, and monitor that on a daily basis to instil confidence among the citizens. Such public notifications should be readily available in real time to the general public, they added.

The food security situation needs to be viewed in the context of rising prices in global and regional markets, the current level of food stock and what is in the pipeline, and the possibility of a prolonged flood, the meeting recommended.

“Energetic steps should be taken to encourage private food grain importers to open letters of credit and to facilitate border measures. The government may like to sit with potential importers and leading bankers to address this issue urgently,” said the press statement.

For agriculture rehabilitation activities, the meeting suggested that the government should have a coordinated initiative, particularly involving private sector banks to enhance inflow of rural credit along with specialised government banks.

The discussants also stressed that the government should take appropriate security and safety measures to safeguard the marooned people and their properties.

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