Army chief emphasises solidarity to deal with any disaster

Bangladesh Army Chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed has said it is possible to deal with any natural disaster if everyone works together, according to a media release by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

"The Bangladesh Army is working for the rehabilitation of the flood victims and army personnel will provide all possible assistance to the people as long as they are needed," said General Shafiuddin Ahmed on Thursday while visiting flood-hit north-eastern district Sunamganj.    

The army chief distributed relief items among the flood victims in Moinpur area of Surma union of the district.

He said all government agencies are working tirelessly to alleviate the sufferings of the people in the aftermath of the floods.

General Shafiuddin Ahmed instructed the army personnel to be more active in the ongoing rescue operations, relief distribution and medical services.

The army is providing necessary medicines to the flood victims under its own management. The army chief assured that the service will continue in future too.

Army personnel from the 17th and 19th Infantry Divisions are deployed in 20 upazilas of Sylhet, Sunamganj and Netrokona districts to help the flood victims.

The army men have been relentlessly working to rescue the stranded people and distributing food, clean water and medical aid to the victims.

The Bangladesh Army has so far rescued 12,148 flood victims in the three districts and sent them to flood shelters. Medical assistance has been provided to 14,750 people and reliefs have been distributed to 21,968 people.

Besides, the army has reached out 55,136 families with relief items.

Villages in 11 upazilas of Sunamganj were inundated as flood hit the district on 16 June. Although the flood situation has improved a bit in a week, sufferings of the marginalised people have mounted. Many of the flood victims are yet to return home from the shelters though the flood waters began to recede.