The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The United Nation (UN) General Assembly yesterday expressed deepest sympathy to the Government and people of Bangladesh for the "tragic loss of life," who suffered after a cyclone last week killed thousands of people and devastated acres of croplands.

Assembly President Srgjan Kerim, however, began the global body's annual joint debate on strengthening United Nations coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance, coming across the cyclone disaster in Bangladesh. He further called on Member States to "respond promptly and generously" to any request for help, as rapid funding in the wake of humanitarian disasters was of the essence.

With Bangladesh's experience fresh in their minds, delegations discussed the United Nations' humanitarian activities under the umbrella of creating predictable finances to enable prompt response to crises, strengthening the Organization's response capacity through a system of "cluster leads", and bolstering support for field coordination and long-term recovery from tragic events such as the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Against that backdrop, Bangladesh's representative said the disaster had hit before his country could recover from two rounds of massive flooding that had inundated almost half the nation just three months ago.

The storm, which was one of the 10 worst in the last century, killed more than 2,000 people and extensively damaged the country's shrimp farms, a chief source of livelihood. Preliminary estimates showed that 27 million people had been impacted.

However, the death toll could have been higher had it not been for the extensive preparation of the Government and other agencies, notably through the evacuation of 3.2 million people to shelters 48 hours before the cyclone's landing, he said.

The Emergency Relief Coordinator had committed $259 million to 331 life-saving humanitarian projects in 25 countries in 2006 alone. In the long-term, he hoped the Fund would receive States' political support and increased resources.

Nonetheless, the representative of Djibouti said that, in the midst of news reports of mounting casualties in Bangladesh, Member States should not lose sight of the effectiveness of the Bangladeshi Government's early warning system, which had saved the lives of vast numbers of people -- at least a million costal dwellers -- who had been able to quickly get out of the path of the deadly cyclone.

The Assembly also adopted, without a vote, a draft resolution on the overview of United Nations activities relating to climate change (document A/62/L.11/Rev.1), introduced last week by the Assembly President.

Staff Reporter

More and more countries have come forward to provide assistance to help Bangladesh conduct the relief and rescue operation, while the government yesterday urged the international community to help Bangladesh for carrying out the post-cyclone relief and rehabilitation operations.

Adviser of the Food and Disaster Ministry Tapan Chowdhury told reporters yesterday afternoon that along with Saudi Arabia the donor countries and agencies so far pledged emergency aid worth 140 million US dollars and 300 tons of food and relief materials.

The European Commission is launching a second humanitarian decision for 5 million euro to help cyclone victims. The proposed new emergency funding comes on top of 1.5 million euro in fast-track aid allocated on Friday and would bring the total commission contribution to 6.5 million euros so far. His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah donated US$ 10 million for the cyclone victims.

Kuwait's Ambassador to Bangladesh Abdulatif Al-Mawwash said senior officials at Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry praised the generous donation.

He indicated at coordination among the Kuwait Embassy, the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society and Kuwaiti Defense Ministry to provide food and all necessary supplies to Bangladesh.

Al-Mawwash was among the ambassadors who visited the areas hit by the cycolone, that has claimed thousands of lives.

Japanese Ambassador Masayuki Inoue yesterday officially handed over emergency relief goods worth US$ 390,000 to Food and Diaster Management Secretary Dr Mohammad Ayub Miah at Zia International Airport. JICA Resident Representative Ms Nobuko Suzuki Kayashima was present.

The Korean government will provide US$ 500,000 for cyclone victims.

The Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation Bert Kocnders has pledged emergency assistance of one million euros (about 1.47 million US dollars) for the cyclone victims in Bangladesh, a press release said yesterday.

The emergency assistance will be used for food, shelter, medical aid and safe drinking water for Sidr victims. The contribution will be made through the Dutch Red Cross. Moreover, the Netherlands Embassy in Dhaka has redirected project funds through its water and sanitation and water management programs in the affected areas for immediate relief.

The Norwegian government has sent emergency aid of about 18 million NOK (3.35 million U.S. dollars) to Bangladesh to help cyclone victims, according to reports reaching Stockholm yesterday.

"We see an extensive tragedy now unfolding in Bangladesh," Minister of International Development Erik Solheim said in a statement.

The Norwegian aid will be channeled mainly through UN agencies, the International Red Cross and Norwegian NGOs. Further Norwegian aid would be considered, he said.

Germany will provide more than doubles humanitarian aid now.

In view of the scale of devastation caused by cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh, Germany more than doubled her emergency humanitarian aid to now 12 crore 22 Lac (US$1.76 million).

These funds are channelled to World Food Programme and through German aid agencies to their partners in Bangladesh namely the Red Crescent Society, Care and Caritas, which are implementing relief projects for those in dire need.

The relief organisations are already working in the most affected districts and efforts concentrate on supplying medical care, water and food as well as non-food items such as tarpaulins, blankets, mats and other household equipment.

The Government of Ireland yesterday pledged 500,000 euro towards the massive relief effort in cyclone-devastated Bangladesh.

Michael Kitt, Minister of State for Overseas Development, has earmarked the donation through the Government's Irish Aid fund for developing countries.

"Cyclone Sidr has caused widespread devastation in Bangladesh," he said. "Irish Aid funding will help meet the immediate needs of those worst affected, many of whom have lost their homes and livelihoods."

The American Red Cross is rushing aid with help from the USAID.

"The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society's early warning system and fast evacuation efforts greatly reduced the number of causalities; however significant needs remain, specifically clean water and emergency shelter," says Tracy Reines, Director of International Disaster Response for the American Red Cross. "The generosity of USAID helps us get our aid quickly to a network of Red Cross and Red Crescent workers already on the ground."

The American Red Cross is responding to the emergency relief efforts of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society by providing more than $1.2 million in financial assistance-including a $1 million grant from USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance to provide clean water and emergency shelter. The American Red Cross will also be deploying a water and sanitation disaster specialist.

"The damage from the cyclone will undoubtedly set back progress in recovery made since the tsunami struck," says Jerry Anderson, Senior Director for the Tsunami Recovery Program. "We are glad that our expertise in water and sanitation can be used to help the people of Bangladesh during this critical time."

Others who pledged help included Germany, the European Union, Britain, which pledged €3.4 million and France.

Earlier, the Chinese government decided to donate one million U.S. dollars of emergency assistance to Bangladesh for the relief and rehabilitation activities.

The Saudi government has announced a grant of 100 million U.S. dollars in relief assistance for Bangladesh's cyclone victims.

The Saudi government has also decided to send 300 tons of food and relief materials to Bangladesh.

The Australian government has announced it will provide 180 million taka (2.6 million U.S. dollars) for emergency relief and recovery efforts in Bangladesh. The relief goods include safe water, sanitation facilities and non-food items such as clothes and blankets.

Japan is providing emergency assistance of 21.3 million taka (about 305,000 U.S. dollars) for Bangladesh's cyclone victims. The first consignment of the emergency aid will arrive here on Tuesday.

The Swiss government and charities are also sending immediate aid to the survivors of the cyclone in Bangladesh. The aid, valued at 850,000 Swiss francs (about 760,000 U.S. dollars), will go in part to support efforts by the local Red Crescent Society to provide those in need with food packets, drinking water and medicine.

Besides, the United Nations Development Program, the UNICEF, European Commission, Germany, the UK government, the United States Agency for International Development, the Islamic Relief-UK and Spain earlier pledged to provide about 30 million U.S. dollars.

The deadly cyclone Sidr hit Bangladesh's coastal districts last Thursday night. So far it has killed over 2500 people, according to official statistics. However, the Red Crescent Society and aid agencies said that the death toll could reach as many as 15,000.

Syful Islam

Frozen food export from Bangladesh is being hard hit by its competitor India, Indonesia, Thailand and China and the sector failed to achieve target during the first quarter of the current fiscal year. US$141.77 million worth of frozen food exported during the July-September quarter, which is 8.31 per cent less than the target and 7.35 per cent less than the previous year's export.

The government set an export target worth US$600 million of frozen food for the current fiscal year against last year's US$515.32 million export earnings. Exporters said Bangladesh's frozen food could not vie with the newly invented 'Vhanamei white shrimp' exported to India, Indonesia, Thailand and China in its major markets US and the European Union this year for the Christmas and the new year's day festivals. They said the Vhanamei is a low cost but high yield shrimp with which Bangladesh's shrimps could not compete because of high price of the local spices. President of the Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters Association (BFFEA) Kazi Belayet Hossain told The New Nation that price rise of oil in the global market, share market collapse in the US, and overall economic recession was also the reasons for fall in the export of shrimp. "Economic recession led people towards low cost shrimps and other sea foods," he said. "Our competitors are selling shrimp at low prices we cannot afford to offer. We are not producing Vhanamei but trying to increase production of traditional shrimp," Belayet said.

At present nearly 200 kilograms of shrimp is produced in per hectares in Bangladesh. Local producers are trying to increase the yield to 40 kg per hectare. Vice president of the BFFEA Maksudur Rahman said there are huge stocks of shrimp in the EU and the US as demand decreased due to economic recession. On the other hand, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia are producing a lot of shrimp and frozen food at low prices.

"Prices of shrimp in the international market fell by 40 to 45 per cent which is one of the main reasons for fall in export," he said.

Rahman said the strict antibiotic rules of the EU have also put a brake on shrimp export.

Moreover, the government is suspending license of the producers if antibiotics are found in their shrimp.

He said the government should help farmers to increase production and reduce costs to stay competitive in the international market.

"Suspending license is not a solution… government has to help the producers to find out the way of preventing antibiotics," Rahman added.

BSS, Dhaka

The cyclone in 1991, which came roaring out of the Bay of Bengal, was most powerful than that of this year's.

The '91 cyclone had hit the southern shores of the country at a peak speed of 225 kilometres per hour (kmph) and the latest SIDR, which ravaged the coastline on Thursday night, struck at a core speed of 223 kmph, met office records showed.

Another lethal cyclone, which devastated the southern coastline, was born on the same day of November 12, 1970, at the same place in the southeast Bay off the south Andaman sea and carried the peak wind speed of 224 kmph when it made the landfall.

It was both an act of providence and a natural barrier of the Sundarbans, which saved the country from much more devastations if the SIDR had followed the traditional route of the cyclones from the Bay, Samarendra Karmaker, director of the met office told BSS.

He said the cyclones with the potent destructive powers of hurricane winds at core are generally born at the southeast Bay off the Andaman Sea between October till mid December. Another season begins from March till May. They follow the funnel shaped Meghna estuary to enter the country and unleash their fury.

But this time, the SIDR made the landfall on the southwestern shore off Bagerhat at the fringe of the Sundarbans, hammering its way down the Baleswar river and turning northeast. It allowed the southeastern shore of Chittagong and its adjoining areas to survive from its lethal punch.

Staff Reporter

Food and Disaster Management Adviser Tapan Chowdhury yesterday called upon all, including the politicians, to come forward in aid of the victims. When asked about the emergency, the functionary of the caretaker government said that emergency wouldn't be a barrier to relief-distribution work.

He also called upon the business community to keep stable the price of the daily essentials for the sake of the cyclone-affected people.

However, a top army official ruled out the possibility of the Caretaker Government holding talks with political leaders to face the post-cyclone emergency. "We do not think it necessary to hold meeting with political leaders," Principal Staff Officer of the Army Lt General Masud Uddin Chowdhury said, in presence of Adviser Tapan Chowdhury.

The Adviser of the interim Government along with the Army General were talking to journalists at a formal press briefing organised by Disaster Management Ministry after holding a meeting with leaders of the business community.

Gen. Masud said, political parties can operate relief efforts. The government will not bar them. People should come forward with the relief materials out of their own commitment. While asked about displaying banners and identities by the respective political parties in their relief operation, he said, "The government restricted it during the post-flood relief operations. But I do not know whether the government will continue the ban or not." Tapan Chowdhury and General Masud also assured that the government would not sue anybody on charge of extortion, for collecting fund for cyclone victims or for donating to volunteers.

General Masud apprised the meeting that, according to figures collected till yesterday noon, a total of 3,113 people were killed while another 1,063 remained missing since the devastating cyclone Sidr struck Thursday night.

Some one million families were affected and three million people became homeless. Some 2.5 lakh livestock perished in the disaster.

Asked about the Red Crescent calculated higher figure, which apprehended that the death toll could cross 10,000, he said he was unaware about the base of their survey.

Journalists asked him if there has been any lack of coordination between the government and the Army in this regard, as there has been a gap between the death figures given by the two sides. He replied: "There's a gap of 300 only in the two tolls, which matters little."

About the prognosis about another up-and-coming cyclone, nicknamed Nargis, which could sweep the country middle of December, he said, "We are discussing the matter."

He felt that more relief needed for the people of the cyclone-affected areas.

FBCCI President Mir Nasir Hossain, DCCI president Hossain Khalid, Moshiul Karim, president of Foreign Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Latifur Rahman, president of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Syed Ershad, president of of AmCham, MA Gafur, Executive Director of AmCham, BGMEA president Anwarul Alam Chowdhury and BKMEA chief Fazlul Haq represented the business community in the meeting.

They pledged to assist the government and donate in its fund for assisting and rehabilitating the foodless and shelter-less people who have lost their near and dear ones and have been pauperised within a moment of tempest.

The BGMEA confirmed that it would donate one lakh sweaters, two lakh shirts and trousers while the BKMEA said it would give five lakh vests and T-shirts.

Mir Nasir said his apex trade body would reach the affected areas with relief after meeting with the district-level chambers.

Staff Reporter

Representatives of the western buyers and leaders of the Bangladesh Garments Manufactures and Exporters Association (BGMEA) are of the opinion that the lack of mutual understanding between the two parties was impeding the implementation of social compliance in Bangladeshi Ready Made Garments (RMG) sector.

"Western buyers set complaints standard according to their consumers demand and requirement, which conflict with our local tradition and customs," said Alamgir M. Z. Rahman, Director of BGMEA and MD Consumer Products Limited. According to him, this conceptual conflict is ultimately injuring both the producers and western consumers.

Supporting the BGMEA Director's observation, Jenifar Jabbar, Consultant of BGMEA and UNDP proposed to introduce country specific code of conduct for the RMG sector. "Some requirements that our western buyers demand are contradictory and are not suitable for our society. Specific list of demands should be framed for each country, taking consideration into local traditions, customs and values," she said.

Responding to the manufacturers' proposal, Viveka R. the Code of Conduct Manager for HNM said, the level of understanding is yet to develop. "It is reality that the level of understanding between buyers and manufacturers at the grassroots levels is yet to be developed," she said.

However, she conceptually praised BGMEA proposal of country specific RMG sector requirements and vowed to consider through proper channel.

They were addressing a roundtable discussion yesterday on CSR Guidelines focused on Women Workers in the RMG Sectors, organised by the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI).

Five points were raised on the occasion, related to the Women labours in RMG sector. According to Iftekhar Ahmed, Project Director of BIE, female workers in our RMG sector are harassed in five basic aspects.

Frequent physical and sexual harassments at work, non availability of maternity and other leave benefits, unfriendly health, safety and working environment, lack of awareness related to the workers rights and absence of provident funds and post-retirement benefits are the exploitative aspects with the female labours, he pointed in his presentation.

However, necessary steps were asked to be taken to eradicate all these social and occupational hazards for women RMG workers in the society.

Staff Reporter

Keeping the enlisting of some 40 lakh voters in the capital in mind, the Election Commission (EC) yesterday formally launched its data collection work in the Dhaka city.

The EC-appointed enumerators yesterday visited door-to-door to collect data on voters in areas under the 28 police stations in the city.

Some 36.36 lakh voters enrolled in the voter list that was cancelled last year. The figure is likely to increase by about 3.50 lakh this time, the EC said. The information collection work is scheduled to be completed by November 29. On an average an enumerator is distributing 300 prescribed forms and fill them up on the spots.

After completion of the work of information collection, a total of 951 camps will be opened in 90 wards of the capital in phases. The work for taking photographs of voters will start from December 1.

The work for photograph taking will continue up to March, although the voter lists preparation work in the Dhaka city is supposed to be completed by February according to the schedule given by the Bangladesh Army. Voters will simultaneously be provided with national IDs.

In order to do the job, the EC has already appointed 188 assistant registration officers, 2,627 supervisors and 13,040 information collectors.

The field level enumerators started their activities in the city yesterday morning visiting the residence of Dhaka Divisional Commissioner at Minto Road in the city and supplying voter registration forms to Commissioner Ekram Ahmed, wife and two sons.

"We've been carrying out this major task across the country successfully. My feeling is very much encouraging. I'm very much optimistic about its success," Ekram Ahmed told reporters.

He said this is the first time that the Election Commission started enlisting voters with photographs. "I think this digitalised voter listing would be accurate. A flawless voter list is imperative to hold a free and fair election," he said.

Deputy Election Commissioner Biswas Lutfar Rahman told reporters that they had started their work in all the police stations in the capital simultaneously on the advice of Bangladesh Army personnel. "We expect to complete the data collection work in all the areas of the capital within the stipulated time," he said.

The Army is providing technical support to the EC in its voter listing and national ID preparation.