Cyclone

Sir, As I witnessed the cyclones of'91 and '97 personally, my mind has worked to compare two cyclones. Both of them whipped us and left trail of devastation. Cyclone of '91 hit Chittagong city at night and at high tide. It was like a doomsday and my feeling was as if I boarded a ship trembling over rolling of waves. Chittagong city was under blackout for several days. Telephone connection outside city remained disconnected for many days. TV viewing had been made possible after 30 days of cyclone. Loss of human lives, livestock, cattle, poultry, betel leaf farms and standing crop were immense. Thatched houses and infrastructure, mainly embankments, were damaged immensely. Catastrophe was significant for surge of the sea water that acted as catalyst to all mishaps. Awareness was presumably nil among the people and pre-dlsaster preparation was not much. Information of damages after cyclone nearby Chittagong was not readily available.

The '91 cyclone taught us many lessons. Awareness among the people living in low-laying areas and adjoining the sea was raised after 'QI cyclone. As a result, post-disaster management of 97 was abundant that has attenuated loss of lives and property. As '97 cyclone occurred at day and at low tide, extent of pre disaster manage-

ment and awareness among people could not be tested. Time of whipping in '97 was at low tide that did prevent in causing surge of sea water. It might be the main reason for less toll of lives. Information access in '97 is easier than it was in '91.

Disaster brings honey for a few and misery for many. This year, affected people need houses and safe drinking water. We can think how the stnicture of houses would be in this coastal area as this is vulnerable to recurring cyclone. Now. it is also high time to evaluate our past mistakes. Cyclone occurred in the coastal area from time immemorial but natural protection like mangroves used to save lives and properties from elemental devastations. Rampant shrimp cultivation and salt field development have uprooted traditional livelihood and destroyed natural protection like mangroves. We should think comprehensively without fail to build this area coping with recurring cyclone and surge.

Bose Asoke Kumar House # 413, Road # 10 Block-B. Chandgaon R/A Chittagong -4212

It is 1979, not 1969

Sir, I draw your kind attention to your editorial under the caption "Significant Verdict" dated 26th May, 1997. So far I know, the present Islamic Gov-

ernment of Iran came to power in 1979 and not in 1969.

Mohd Lakiotullah 3-G Hope Apt 21, Siadheswari Road Dhaka-1217

To save the mankind

Sir, It refers to a letter in this regard by Shaikh Mahbub Ahmed published in The Dally Star on 4/4/97. It is really very heartening to know that the Foundation for Moral Development Approach (FMDA) has floated a universally benevolent proposal to the UN on "Global Moral Development for World Peace". The aim of the FMDA is to raise moral awareness and stir the conscience among the world’s peoples through its universal moral development approach. The FMDA has rightly taken up this timely step as a package-deal programme to curb and combat all the fatal problems of world today like corruption, AIDS, poverty, violation of human rights, environment pollution, oppression on women, terrorism, drug abuses, smoking, etc., as all these problems are the simple by-products of immoral human activities of multffari-ouspattem.

There is no doubt that today or tomorrow, the world population. for the sake of its peaceful survival, will have to follow the guidelines of this global moral development programme of the

FMDA. We really feel proud that such a unique and universally benevolent moral development issue has emerged from Bangladesh and we wholeheartedly congratulate the initiators of the organisation for propagating such a noble idea in the greater welfare of mankind.

Mrinal Kanti Barua President.

Human Welfare Society Bakalia, Chittagong

Increasing beds in hospitals

Sir, My mother is now in city for treatment and she has been admitted to the IPGMR. She came (with my father) to Dhaka almost 20 days ago. Without wasting time, we went to IPGMR for a bed but the authorities, despite their best efforts, failed to provide a single bed. For this, we had to wait a long time. I don't think that it was a failure of the authority. They deserve thanks because they maintained the rules and regulations. They did not even care to the appeal of ministers for their relatives. The man coming earlier prior to other patients and having patience only can claim a bed at the IPGMR. The rest will have to wait until a bed is vacant.

My earnest request goes to the Ministry for Public Health and to the authorities of IPGMR to increase the numbers of beds so that the deprived patients

can have treatment with ease and comfort and thus be able to save both money and their valuable time. Otherwise the tail-talks of "Health for All" will never come to be true.

Once again, my heartfelt congratulations go to the authorities of IPGMR for following strict discipline.

Snikdha Akhtar

108. Sir A F Rahman Hall Dhaka University

UN, Washington and Baghdad

Sir, It appears that Iraq, one of the oldest civilisations in the world and the USA. the selfproclaimed greatest civilisation on earth after the end of the Cold War do not see eye to eye.

Kuwait has been freed from the forceful occupation of Iraq in 1991 but the UN economic sanction against Iraq continues for an indefinite period and the sufferings of the people of Iraq know no bounds.

It is said that UN economic sanction against Iraq would be lifted only after the UN inspector Rolf Ekeus certifies that Baghdad has destroyed all its weapons of mass destruction.

Over last six years Rolf Ekeus and his team of experts with full cooperation of many International agencies and loaded logistic support from the US has been searching and ex-

ploring every nook and corner of Iraq for the wide publicised hidden weapons.

But we wonder in this advanced age of computer, science and technology, secret photography, satellite communications and what not when the US Geological Survey in Golden Colorado can report earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 which hit thousands of miles away near Quetta in Pakistan with a twinkle of an eye and the Voice of America can broadcast the news within a few minutes, why the UN Special Commission on Disarming Iraq (UNCOM) which is spending US $ 100,000 a day for weapons monitoring in Iraq has so far failed to prove anything concrete about the existence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and Ekeus has been repeatedly issuing incomplete, inconsistent and repugnant reports and rumours about Iraqi weapons, following a dillydally tactics and throwing the people of Iraq into the abyss of untold sufferings?

We would request the UN Secretary General to revitalise the comatose UN with a view to making the world organisation operative, workable effectively and efficiently consistent with the alms, objectives and Charter of the UN and also in accordance with the Universal Dec laratlon of Human Rights.

OH Kabir

6 Hare Street

Wart. Dhaka1203