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Download PDF Most of the Sidr victims in the worst-hit Southkhali in Bagerhat’s Sharonkhola upazila are apparently happy about relief distribution, but they all want to return to their previous jobs that include agriculture, fishing, and small businesses.
As relief materials from both the government and non-government sources are pouring in, locals demand that they should also be given cash to resume their work and rebuild houses.
“We want to repair our houses, buy cattle for cultivation and boats for fishing. We need cash money. By the grace of almighty Allah, we don’t have a lack of food right now,” said Shahidul Islam of Pedabari village.
During visits to different villages of Southkhali, it has been found that almost all the houses, roadside grocery shops and boats damaged in the cyclone still remain in ruins.
Talking to The Daily Star, many of the victims say they are getting adequate food items, but they need cooking materials first to cook those.
Ayesha Begum of North Southkhali says, “We can’t cook as all the cooking materials have been washed away during the cyclone.”
Like Ayesha, Fatima Begum, Kahinoor, Hosne Ara, Sharmeen, Kulsum, Shahida Begum, and hundreds others demand that cooking materials be distributed in addition to cash money, boat, cattle, and nets.
The government and private relief providers have concentrated their relief operations in different areas of Southkhali, but allegations of mismanagement or lack of coordination are still rife.
Food, drinking water and medicines are not being distributed equitably and according to specific needs of a locality, relief seekers allege.
They say the residents of Pedabari (Police Camp Road) and those who live on north border of North Southkhali are not receiving adequate aid due to poor road communications.
Around 40 families of the village say most of the relief has been distributed in South Southkhali, Bogi village and some other areas.
They put the blame of mismanagement on relief operators led by Union Parishad Chairman Anwar Hossain and member Fazlul Haque Tuku.
They say relatives of local leaders and their political loyalists are getting more relief materials than those who are relatively poor, and physically and socially weak.
At a gathering of deprived villagers the complaining ones suddenly became tight-lipped as the UP chairman turned up. But some elderly women dared raise their voice.
In response, the UP chairman asked them to “learn” how to receive relief materials. “We have to learn how to get relief,” he said when the villagers were already returning home empty-handed.
On the allegations, Anwar termed those absolutely “false” and said they were distributing relief materials properly with the help of army and navy personnel.
The chairman however claimed they need more rice, baby milk, medicines, sanitation materials, tents and warm clothes for distribution.
He also said the affected people should be made to earn their bread instead of keeping them alive on relief.
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