No flood-hit family will be left without aid in Cox’s Bazar: State Min Amit

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit on Tuesday said no flood-affected family in Cox’s Bazar would be deprived of relief and rehabilitation assistance, as the government had allocated additional relief materials and cash support to address the needs of those affected.

Speaking to reporters after distributing relief among flood victims in Jhilongja Union of Cox’s Bazar Sadar, the state minister said the government had supported flood-hit people from the outset and would continue providing assistance until normalcy returned.

He said a coordination meeting held at the Cox’s Bazar deputy commissioner’s office on Monday reviewed the flood situation, ongoing relief operations and rehabilitation plans.

The meeting, attended by district and upazila administrations, local lawmakers and officials from various government agencies, decided to provide additional allocations to each upazila based on local requirements to ensure aid reached all affected families.

Amit said the government’s goal, under the directives of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, was not only to provide emergency relief but also to restore the livelihoods of affected people as quickly as possible.

He said rehabilitation measures would include repairing damaged houses, rebuilding roads, bridges and culverts, restoring educational and religious institutions, and assessing losses in agriculture, fisheries and livestock to implement recovery programmes.

Referring to deaths caused by landslides during the recent floods, the state minister warned that living on hill slopes posed serious risks.

He said the government planned to relocate people living in vulnerable areas by providing land and housing in safer locations. He also urged the media to raise public awareness about the dangers of hill settlements.

The minister said the government would take strict action against illegal hill cutting and encroachment, adding that no influential individuals or groups would be allowed to continue such activities.

On relief operations, Amit said coordinated efforts involving district and upazila administrations, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Coast Guard, elected representatives and private organisations had improved the delivery of relief and rehabilitation services.

The government would further strengthen coordination among all stakeholders, he added.

Responding to a question about repairing damaged sluice gates and embankments, Amit said he had already discussed the issue with the state minister in charge of the Ministry of Water Resources.

He expressed hope that they would jointly visit Cox’s Bazar within the next one to two weeks to inspect the damaged infrastructure and take necessary steps.