Skyrocketing boat prices and fares in Sylhet, Sunamganj disrupt rescue work
As thousands of flood victims are waiting to be rescued, they have been hit hard by the soaring price and fare of watercraft in Sylhet and Sunamganj.
While in some areas the boat fare has multiplied by 100 times, in other places there has been a reported shortage of vessels.
Moreover, local rowboats (dinghy) are being sold at six times higher than the usual price.
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The distance from Salutikor in Sylhet to Telikhal Union is only 10 kilometers, but a boat is being rented for Tk50,000 for travelling the path, said a local volunteer.
He further said that the rent for travelling from Habiganj to Sunamganj is being charged Tk1.5 lakh.
Nihal Ahmed, a resident of Bholaganj in Companiganj upazila, told The Business Standard that he was forced to buy a Tk3,000 worth dinghy with Tk18,000 after being unable to manage any water transport to move his family to safety.
Although the army and local public representatives along with volunteers have been running rescue operations since Saturday, people from several water-trapped areas have made anxious appeals for more water transport.
Meanwhile, many in Companiganj have complained that no one from the administration has offered aid and they were unable to establish contact with them.
Responding to such allegations, Companiganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Lusikanta Hajong said that the road communication of Companiganj with Sylhet has collapsed due to flood waters.
"Even the mobile phone network is not working properly."
When contacted, Sylhet Deputy Commissioner (SC) Mohammad Mojibur Rahman said that the UNOs in Companiganj and Gowainghat have been asked to buy boats in order to conduct rescue operations in the waterlogged areas.
"They have also been allocated a budget for this reason," the DC added.
Meanwhile, the flood situation in the country's northeast region deteriorated further on Saturday leaving over 30 lakh people marooned in different upazilas and towns.
Niloy Pasha, deputy assistant engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) in Sylhet, said there will be no improvement in the flood situation if the rain does not stop upstream.
