Rice theft goes on, the poor bear brunt

At a time when underprivileged people across the country are suffering from hunger and unemployment, theft of relief goods and corruption in the management are making matters worse.

Law enforcers have recovered a total of 4,167 sacks, each containing 50kg rice and arrested 29 suspects in the last 13 days.

Sex workers in Mymenshingh, day labourers in Bogura, rickshawapullers in Barishal and minority communities in Natore and the hill tracts keep pleading that they were not receiving the goods meant for them.

In Bogura town, hundreds of people, mostly labourers, formed a human chain demanding food or work.

Many of the participants held hand written placards saying, "we are starving" at the event at Mozamnagar Saturday, reports our correspondent.

Contacted, Azizur Rahman, UNO of Bogura, said, "I went to the spot and talked to the people. I wanted a list from them. When they give us the list, we will provide them with the goods, as we have no lack of relief goods."

People in Dekichhara Natun Para, a remote village in Bandarban's Lama upazila, are seriously passing through hard times as most of the families are facing food shortage, Reng Yan Karbari of the village told The Daily Star.

Prodip Lakra, president of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad in Natore, said at least 70,000 ethnic minority people in the district were living in poverty.

Shilpi Pahan, a resident of Hugalbaria in Natore, said, "We work in other people's farms as we have no land. But no one is calling us for any work."

Mohammad Shahreaz, deputy commissioner in  Natore, said they have distributed 5.5 tonnes of relief among the poor. "We will distribute more."

In Barishal city corporation areas, around 40,000 people live in 19 slums. But the corporation has only 100 tonnes of rice for it's relief effort.

Officials said the rice they have is really inadequate.

Hayatul Islam, 45, a rickshaw puller of Palshpur area, said, "I got nothing. I barely earned anything in two weeks. Only people who have good relations with influential party men got food support."

Those who received the goods said they got 10 kg of rice, two kg of daal and three kg of potato and a soap.

Officials engaged in relief distribution said at least 20 percent of people in Barishal should get the relief goods, but in reality, only four to five percent got them.

Mayor Serniabad Sadik Abdullha said the city corporation received far less than what was required.

In Nilphamari's Kishoreganj upazila, officials  made a list of 71,371 families that lost their income due to the shutdown.

Only 38 tonnes of rice was released for them until yesterday. Officials said they needed at least 71.4 tonnes.

In Nilphamari town, only eight tonnes of rice has been distributed among 800 people. But there are about 75,000 people in need, officials said.

THEFT MAKE IT WORSE

Police recovered rice sacks in Joypurhat, Bogura, Chapainwabagnaj and Madaripur in the last two days. Mostly, the local ruling party men were involved with the theft, law enforcers said.

Sohel Rana, assistant inspector general at the Police Headquarters, said, all units of police were asked to be vigilant against theft of relief goods.

Meanwhile, the local government ministry yesterday suspended a chairman and two members of three separate Union Parishads for their alleged involvement in irregularities in distributing relief goods.

They are Nurul Afsar, chairman of Mirzapur Union Parishad, Hathajari Upazila; Shahin Shah, member, ward no-6, Sukash Union Parishad, Singra Upazila, Natore; and Kabir Hossain, member, ward no-8, Pirojpur Union, Sonargaon Upazila, Narayanganj, said a release of the ministry.