Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will visit Sylhet to extend her support to millions of people marooned in the flood-ravaged northeast region.
Her Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim revealed the plan for her visit on Sunday, according to bdnews24.com and television channels.
Muhammad Mosharrof Hossain, the divisional commissioner of Sylhet, said he was informed that Hasina would arrive in the district on Tuesday. “We are preparing accordingly.”
Speaking at a programme in Dhaka earlier on Sunday, Hasina said the government was fully prepared to combat floods in Sylhet and Sunamganj.
"This time, the floods have been quite severe,” she said, adding, "We’ve engaged the local administration, army, navy, air force and other agencies to rescue flood-affected people and ensure proper relief work."
The Awami League and its affiliate organisations have been assisting in the relief work. The government is prepared to ensure food distribution, oral saline and drinking water supply to all, she said.
She noted the flood water started to recede in Sunamganj, but the other parts of the country began to be inundated.
“We took precautions as the Mymensingh and Rangpur divisions are likely to be flooded. We'll ensure that all necessary measures are taken to drain out the water," Hasina said.
Over 75,000 people in Sunamganj and 30,000 in Sylhet are taking refuge in shelters, said Enamur Rahman, state minister for disaster management and relief. The flooding situation has worsened in Habiganj and Moulvibazar too.
The government has allocated Tk 26 million for flood victims in Sunamganj and Sylhet. The amount will be split equally between the two districts.
The flooding situation has worsened in Rangpur, Nilphamari, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Netrokona, Kishoreganj, Sherpur, Jamalpur, Moulvibazar, and Habiganj. The government is sending Tk 1.0 million and dry food to these districts, Rahman said.
The army, the navy, the coastguard, and other agencies are working to rescue the four million people stranded by the flooding.