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Building Sidr-victims built through bribery

Saudi relief reached them in exchange for Tk 5,000-Tk 20,000

Staff Correspondent
Ayesha Begum and Prafulla Adhikari each had to bribe the local union parishad (UP) member Tk 5,100 to get the construction materials that the Saudi government sent as relief for the victims of Cyclone Sidr.
They are at least luckier than Pangku Rani, who has yet to take delivery of the goods even after paying the same amount to Abdus Salam Howlader. the UP member.
The three are from Pashchim Pasaribuniya village of Ikri union under Vandalia upazila of Pirojpur district.
The Saudi government sent the building materials for those who have lost houses in the cyclone that wreaked havoc on the coastal districts on November 15 last year.
Each pack contains six concrete poles, 41 corrugated iron (CI) sheets, and some bamboo mats and pieces of wood.
At a press conference in the capital yesterday, people from Vandana upazila alleged that chairmen and members of two unions have taken bribes ranging between Tk 5,000 and Tk 20,000 to release the goods meant to be given for free.
After we made complaints, the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) came to investigate the matter the day before yesterday. But he heard only from the UP members and chairmen and ignored us. After he left, Salam member and his men beat us up," Khokon Shikder, one of the victims, said at the press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) auditorium.
Khokon is among those who have yet to get
the house materials.
Prafulla Adhikari said, 'After complaints and this press conference, we are afraid we might be tortured into leaving the village.”
A local youth named Kaiser organised the Sidr victims in Vandana against the briber} over relief materials. He brought them to Dhaka and arranged the press conference.
Bazlur Rashid Mridha, a freedom fighter who was present at the DRU auditorium, said Siddiqur Rahman Tulu Dakua, chairman ol Dhawa union, took money from the poor for the relief materials.
"He already stands accused in two cases for relief embezzlement. Still, the local administration has given him the work of relief distribution," Bazlur continued.
Mujibur Rahman Mantu, UP member of ward No. 2, has the same allegation against him.
The aggrieved people accused the local administration especially UNO Abdul Ahad of backing the UP chairmen and members.
Contacted by this correspondent late in the evening, Ahad said he forbade the locals to pay anyone for the relief materials, but they did not heed.
He denied the allegation of supporting the local government representatives indulging in irregularities in relief distribution.
He however admitted that the villagers were attacked by goons of UP chairmen and members. He said he has directed the local police station to take action against it
"But I am not sure whether they did it or not," said the UNO.