No More Politics on Flood

It’s an interesting awakening for the Care taker government as Barrister Moinul Hossain is pleading for help for devastated flood victims in Bangladesh. Yesterday, Army Chief General Moeen rebuked political parties for not coming forward to help flood victims. But what we’re forgetting that flood in Bangladesh is not a new phenomenon, it’s an annual ritual of nature. The current situation was developing over last two weeks. Weather Forecasts and torrential rains were showing for sometime that flood is rushing to Bangladesh. But the question is spinning in our head: What the hell you’re doing? What did happen in the last two weeks? Where’s the government’s flood preparedness?

BD News reports on August 5, 2007,

Information adviser Mainul Hosein Sunday said there had better be no attempts to make political gains from disastrous floods.

"No conscientious person should now be using the flood issue for political gains," the adviser told reporters at the Cabinet Division.

The adviser said politicians should help the victims on humanitarian grounds.

Asked if the government would permit former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to visit the flood-stricken areas, he said, "I don't think anyone would stop her doing so."

Mainul said the government had decided to run relief operations in an integrated and coordinated manner following reports of mismanagement in relief distribution.

"Measures to form local committees for better coordination have been adopted and if necessary the advisers will go from district to district to help form effective committees," Mainul said.

He called people across the broader social spectrum to help out flood victims.

"The floods have already assumed devastating proportions. The marooned multitudes are somehow managing to live on as sub-human beings.

"All citizens including politicians should come with whatever they can muster as succour to assist the distressed."

It’s really easier blaming other than taking responsibility on your own. When all the previous governments handled flood and mobilized resources in the past, there is no room for exception left for this military backed government which really enjoyed much more flexibility than any other political government to override bureaucratic barriers. Now, it appears that they miserably failed to tackle the situation. Bangladesh learned flood survival over the years. Now, shifting military backed government’s failure on politicians and blaming them and their mothers for not seeing what they could have seen at least two weeks ago is a pretty sick move. So, please don’t say, “No more politics on flood”.