Government releases 10 tonnes of rice, Tk 250,000 for Sunamganj flood victims

Authorities move to scale up relief efforts as ministers visit affected areas

The government has allocated 10 tonnes of rice and Tk 250,000 in cash assistance for flood-affected people in Sunamganj district.

Mahbubur Rahman Tuhin, public relations officer of the disaster management ministry, said on Tuesday the allocation was made based on a list initially provided by the district administration.

“A state minister-led team has visited the area [on Tuesday] and instructed officials to prepare a revised list. The scope of assistance will be expanded further,” he said.

The ministry said the allocation is intended as humanitarian assistance for 500 distressed and helpless people affected by different natural disasters, to be distributed free of cost for one month.

It said both rice and cash assistance must be distributed strictly among disaster-affected people and cannot be used for any other purpose.

The ministry also instructed that distribution must follow the Humanitarian Assistance Implementation Guidelines 2012–13, with proper accounts maintained for audit purposes, and expenditure reports submitted to the Department of Disaster Management and the ministry.

The cost of rice will be met from the 2025–26 fiscal year allocation, while cash support will be drawn from the relief operations and rehabilitation-related budget.

Meanwhile, Disaster Management Minister Asadul Habib Dulu, Agriculture Minister Mohammad Aminur Rashid, the Prime Minister’s Finance and Planning Advisor Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, and Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar visited flood-affected areas in Sunamganj.

At a meeting there, Dulu said support would be provided to farming families in the Haor region for the next three months, with plans under way to extend the initiative further.

He stressed accurate beneficiary lists and timely delivery of aid, instructing district officials to consult local MPs in preparing them.

The agriculture minister said a coordinated Haor management programme would be undertaken, including dredging, sluice gate construction, harvesters, seed and fertiliser distribution, and agricultural credit to help farmers recover.

The minister later inaugurated the three-month humanitarian assistance initiative for flood-affected farmers at the Sunamganj Bishwambharpur Upazila Complex.