The President of the Communist Party of Bangladesh Manzurul Ahsan Khan urged in a press conference at party’s central auditorium to coordinate relief work and supply sufficient safe drinking water, food and medicine. He also called upon the government to organize Test Relief immediately involving local people for restoring road link, electric supply and various urgent reconstruction works for the cyclone-affected people of the country. On return from 5 days of relief work in the cyclone affected southern Bangladesh, he spoke in detail about the party’s relief activities and present condition of the disaster-torn people in front of the journalists.
Describing the experience of his relief work, CPB President said that relief materials are not yet enough for the affected people. There is a lack of coordination in relief activities. For this reason mismanagement in distribution of relief materials is continuous. There are people particularly in remote areas who did not receive any relief yet. He suggested that the government should start Test Relief, cleansing water reservors, restart electricity supply and repair roads on emergency basis.
Mentioning to the shortage of safe drinking water and baby food CPB President said that diarrhea has already been spread seriously in cyclone affected areas. He demanded urgent medical team for those areas. He also urged for sufficient supply of safe drinking water, water purifying tablets and building water refinery plant over there. He advised to publish more than one mobile phone number of ‘Relief Control Room’ in newspaper for each affected area.
In replying a question from a journalist the CPB president said that the CPB always stands by side of the disaster affected countrymen. The leaders and activists of CPB did not wait for anyone’s permission to start their relief and rehabilitation work when the disaster (Cyclone Sidre) attacked. He called upon all patriotic political parties, humanitarian organizations and individuals to come forward in this national crisis. As immediate task for the affected areas CPB demanded free distribution of fertilizer, seeds and other agricultural materials among farmers. The Party also demanded immediate stopping the collection of agricultural loans and other loan installment of NGO’s from the affected people.
CPB President said that Bangladesh has become one of the victim of Global Warming and environmental pollution. Environmental collapse has already become a top danger of this country. In reality, Bangladesh is paying a high cost against the environmental crime of US imperialism and Western industrialized country. US refusal to sign on Kyoto Protocol is a strong evidence of their crime. So they are liable for this disaster of our country, CPB President added.
Condemning the arrival of US marine force in Bangladesh, he said that their main intention is to serve for US military and geo-political interest not to serve our cyclone affected people. He said Bangladesh Army is more enough to combat with the disaster. Our Army has been appreciated and well- recognized by the international community for their tremendous role in several UN missions. But the US Army had totally failed to manage disaster like ‘Hurricane Katrina’ in their own country. They only know to kill innocent people all over the world. CPB president strongly demanded immediate departure of US marine force from Bangladesh.