Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday announced government support for farmers affected by heavy rainfall for the next three months while also calling upon Members of Parliament to play a stronger role in building public awareness to address Bangladesh’s growing waterlogging problem.
The Prime Minister made the announcements in the Jatiya Sangsad while responding to separate concerns raised by lawmakers from Sunamganj-5 and Chattogram-10 constituencies, with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, in the chair.
In response to a question from treasury bench lawmaker Kalim Uddin Ahmed, the Prime Minister said farmers in haor areas, including Sunamganj, are facing severe hardship due to continuous heavy rainfall. He noted that many fields have been submerged, making paddy harvesting extremely difficult.
Describing the situation as “very painful,” he said he had already instructed local administrations in three haor districts to take preparations based on weather forecasts. He also informed that he had spoken with the disaster management minister earlier in the day regarding the situation in haor regions and parts of Mymensingh affected by rainfall.
The Prime Minister assured those farmers whose crops have been damaged will be identified and provided support for the next three months.
In a separate discussion on a point of order raised over severe waterlogging in Chattogram City, the Prime Minister acknowledged that large parts of the city had gone under water due to heavy rainfall, causing widespread public suffering. He added that similar problems exist in Dhaka and other parts of the country due to blocked drainage systems.
Referring to historical initiatives, he said Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman had created water reservoirs and undertaken canal excavation to reduce flooding and waterlogging, and stressed that the country must return to that approach.
He informed Parliament that the government has already launched canal excavation programmes and is working to clean drainage systems. However, he noted that within a short time after cleaning, drains and canals are again being blocked due to irresponsible dumping of waste, including plastic bottles and polythene.
The Prime Minister urged MPs to take responsibility in raising public awareness, stating that such awareness could significantly reduce waterlogging. He also emphasised reducing plastic use and ensuring proper waste disposal.
“It is the moral responsibility of MPs to make people aware of this issue,” he said.
Expressing regret over the suffering in Chattogram, he said he had spoken with the city mayor, who is working to address the situation, although full resolution will take time due to its severity.
“I sincerely express regret to the residents of Chattogram City for this suffering. We are trying to resolve the problem as quickly as possible,” he added.
