BSF bars relief drive in 18 Kurigram enclaves
Food, water crisis: Diarrhoea kills 2, afflicts 450
Rafique Sarker back from Kurigram
Rangpur: About 20,000 flood victims in 18 Bangladesh enclaves in Kurigram district are in great misery as Indian BSF is not allowing supplies of food, drinking water and other essentials to them. Bhrunga-mari Upzila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) told this correspondent during a recent visit that the local administration took initiative to send relief materials to 16 enclaves on July 24 and 25 but BSF did not allow them to enter there.This correspondent visited some villages adjoining the enclaves. The villagers said people in 16 enclaves in Bhrungamari and two in Foolbari upzila are virtually starving for want of food. "We are starving", yelled Akbor Ali, standing at Char Mashal Danga enclave just 10 yards from the mainland in Brungamari. "We are without food and medicine. Please write about us and save our life", shouted Mojibor Rahman from inside Chhit Korla enclave. Sideway standing Abdur Rouf and Mostafizur Rahman also made similar statements. They said diarrhoea has broken out but no medical team went there from the mainland. Abdul Motin, a social worker at Moshaldanga enclave said about 450 people in the enclaves are attacked with diarrhea, but no medical team visited the area. Momena of Chhit Mostafiz enclave said, "There is none to help the enclave people though they are starving." Many of the enclave people said lack of work due to flood has aggravated their sufferings. They used to work in India frontier villages, which were also flooded. Diarrhea killed two children in Chhit Mostafiz enclave in last 10 days. They are Sumi, 6, and Rana, 8. Water is now receding but most of the houses in the enclaves have been damaged as floodwater was stagnant in the areas for over a week
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