Staff Reporter :
Emergency food supplies and other relief materials meant for the poor across the country are continuously being misappropriated or theft allegedly by a section of influential persons despite the warnings from the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Locally influentials, union parishad members, and Open Market Sale (OMS) distributors are involved in stealing rice during the ongoing coronavirus countrywide shutdown when millions of people have become jobless requiring emergency food aid.
Even the government’s ongoing food relief and cash aid targeted to limited-income people are also insufficient, reports our district correspondents.
Police seized a total of 356 sacks of illegally stored relief rice and arrested a number of people involved in rice misappropriation between Thursday and Saturday.
In Jamalpur, police seized 7,440 kg (126 sacks) of rice yesterday, from OMS rice dealer Tofazzol Hossain Tufan, who illegally stored it in a godown at Nurundi market of Sadar upazila.
Tufan is the Vice President of Tolshirchar union unit Awami League. He is currently under police custody and a case will be filed against him, said Jamalpur Sadar Police Station OC Md Salemuzzaman.
In Netrakona, police seized 90 sacks of rice from local OMS rice dealer Aminur Rahman Shakil on Friday in Roailbari union of Kendua upazila.
Shakil is the son of Roailbari union unit Awami League General Secretary. Police detained trader Saiful Miya in connection with the incident.
In Rangpur, police also seized 90 sacks of rice from Vendabari union in Pirgonj upazila early Thursday.
Pirgonj Police Station OC Saresh Chandra said that a tractor was illegally transporting 38kg of rice when the police managed to seize it on the Vendabari road.
Police detained tractor driver Ismail and his assistant Ismail from the spot and later raided three houses where they found the rest of the relief rice.
In Bogura, police arrested a Krishak League leader accused in a case filed by police for misappropriating 50 sacks of rice in Hashraj village in Sonatala upazila.
The accused Mithu Mondal, 35, was sent to jail on Friday.
In Cumilla, a union parishad member was arrested and the OMS rice dealing license of one Abdus Kuddus Sarkar was cancelled for rice misappropriation in Debidwar upazila.
The arrested UP member is Abdul Mannan Molla. Abdus Kuddus is the elder brother of a union parishad chairman.
The government has been giving food relief and cash aid to keep limited-income people indoors during the countrywide shutdown, but the aid appears to be insufficient, according to observers.
They said a good number of people in the capital and other parts of the country are trying to go out in search of food, but they are turned away by law enforcement.
“The novel coronavirus relief programme has also been riddled with theft and irregularities, depriving the beneficiaries, who are struggling during this lockdown enforced to stem the novel coronavirus outbreak,” said an observer requesting anonymity.
However, local representatives claimed that they are distributing relief materials only to the people who deserve it. But lack of supply hinders the programme.
Till April 9, the government has allocated 65,967 tonnes of rice for relief, according to the disaster management and relief ministry. It has also allocated Tk25 crore in cash relief and more than Tk three crore to purchase baby food.
The allocations have already been sent to all local administrations to distribute among deserving people. All the people who are in need will get food and financial support, and none will be without emergency relief, the ministry sources said.
Md Shah Kamal, Senior Secretary to the disaster management and relief ministry, told media that a list of around 50 lakh families has been finalised to provide them with the aid.
Although the government claims that the list is final and they are sending food for the deserving people, there are complaints that the quantity of food is insufficient.
Additionally, several local representatives have been arrested for allegedly misappropriating and stealing relief materials across the country.
