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Heated debate in JS on N region situation

Opposition calls it grave,Govt says‘No’

By Staff Correspondent
The Jatlya Sangshad (Parliament) Initiated general discussion on North Bengal situation hat night
The treasury bench members taking part in the discussion said that want of work and food was a normal phenomenon for this region each year during late autumn, while the opposition members said that the government had miserably failed to save the famine-like situation.
Five members. three from opposition and Iwo from the treasury bench look part in
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia who went to Gazlpur could not return, while the Leader of the
Opposition Sheikh Hasina who is now visiting Rangpur did not turn up yesterday till the beginning of the debate. Later the house decided to Initiate the discussion on the issue at 9 pm for an hour and adjourned the discussion till to-
Speaker Sheikh Itazzak All has convened a meeting of the Business Executive Committee today at 10.30 am at his chamber to decide the time frame for continuation of discussion today.
The discussion was partici paled by treasury bench members Fazlur Rahman Patal and Abu Yousuf Md Khalilur Rah man while from the opposition
the Awaml League MP Abdur Rouf, Jamaat MP Latlfur Rahman and Jattya Party MP Shah Moazzem Hossain
Abdur Rouf said that there was serious famine In the northern part of lhe country and the BNP government had miserably failed to control the situation. He said Ihal In the Nilfamarl district alone, a total of 526 persons died during last few weeks by eating Inedible food.
. He demanded of the government to declare the north cm area as a disaster zone and take adequate relief mea sure* to save (he situation from further deterioration.
Jamaat MP Latlfur Rahman said that during his visit to the area he found people were half-fed or unfed.
In Chapalnawubganj alone, about 528 people died of diar rhoea. he claimed.
He demanded of the government massive lest relief work and distribution of clothes so that the people couM be saved from the cold during winter.
Abu Yousuf Mohammad Khalilur Rahman taking floor said that there waa no question of dying from starvation In the northern region.
Test relief work was going on In full swing tn different
districts and there was no report of its misuse.
Yousuf also refuted the report published in a section of dailies about selling of a daughter at five Taka by one Tajul in Joypurhat. He said that Tajul handed over his daughter to one Sattar, as his (Tajul's) wife left her and married another person. Tajul had two wives. So he decided to give his daughter to Sattar, whose wife was eagerly looking for adopting a girl child. This investigation was made by the district administration along with the local Awaml League leader Alauddin Ahmed, he added. He strongly refuted the opposition allegation that there was famine-like situation and that the government had delayed in initiating relief work.
Shah Moazzem who was interrupted many times by one BNP member, said that there was silent famine in Naoga, Kurlgram, Pabna, Sirajganj and many other districts. There was no harm to confess the situation, he said and added almost all the newspapers of the country reported about the situation.
State Minister for Communication Fazlur Rahman Patal in his speech attacked Shah Moazzem 1 lossaln and said that during the 'autocratic Ershad . regime' people died not only of famine but also due to atrocities. Democracy loving people of this House have not forgotten those, he said.
. He said that this year the death
figure was much less than that of 1982-1983 and subsequent years.
He said that the government took immediate step to control the situation with its limited resources. He said that when the BNP came to power it had to tackle the severest .cyclone of the century in Chittagong.
The House was adjourqed till at 4.30 pm today. It is expected that the debate will continue by suspending the question and answer session.