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Food assistance for flood-hit people until harvesting next crops: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday assured the flood-hit people of the country of providing food assistance to them for three months until harvesting of the next crops and said that all the affected people would get relief goods, reports BSS.

"Food assistance to the flood-affected people will continue for three months until the harvesting of next crops ... we're making arrangements so that everybody affected by the flood gets food and we would continue to do it Insha Allah," she said while distributing relief goods among the flood affected people here this morning.

Mentioning that the government has been providing rice at Taka 10 per KG among 50 lakh families of the country, the premier categorically said that relief materials will reach all of the flood-affected people. "Please have faith in us in this regard," she said.

Sheikh Hasina arrived here this morning to visit areas of the district affected by a severe flood caused by heavy rains and onrush of water from upstream.

By an air force helicopter, the prime minister landed at Dinajpur Goar-e-Shaheed Boro Maidan at 10.30am.

The prime minister later distributed relief goods among the flood-stricken people now taking shelter at Dinajpur Zila School Shelter Center in Dinajpur Sadar and Teghara Hugh School Shelter Centre at Farkkabad union of Birol upazila of the northern district.

Sheikh Hasina said with the flood affecting the country, the government has started importing food from abroad and there is an adequate stock of food in Bangladesh.

Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Primary and Mass Education Minister Advocate Mostafizur Rahman, Awami League Joint Secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Whip Iqbalur Rahim, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, MP, spoke on the occasion, among others.

Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmood, Relief and Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya and Food Minister Advocate Qamrul Islam were present on the occasion, among others.