The council of advisers in its weekly regular meeting yesterday discussed the plan.

While discussing an option for seeking foreign support to face the flood situation, the council of advisers viewed that, at the moment, exigencies caused by floods can be met with domestic resources.

The meeting, however, observed that development partners are voluntarily coming up with assistance for the flood-affected people.

A council meeting took the decisions following elaborate presentations and discussions on the flood situation. Army Chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed and Principal Staff Officer (PSO) to the Armed Forces Division Lt Gen Masud Uddin Chowdhury were specially invited to the advisory council meeting in the flood-discussion part.

Two presentations on the latest flood situation were made at the meeting--one by the Armed Forces Division and the other by the Ministry of Disaster Management.

Gen Masud made the first presentation while Secretary to the Ministry of Disaster Management Dhiraj Malakar the second one.

Advisers and the chief of army staff who visited flood-affected areas shared their experiences.

The meeting also decided to hold regular press briefings on latest flood situation with the presence of Information Adviser and Food and Disaster Management Adviser at the Chief Adviser's Office, from today.

The meeting elaborately discussed the quick assessing of damages done by the floods and taking up action plans as well as finding out short-mid-and-long-term ways to prevent and reduces flood damage.

Taking advance planning for post-flood rehabilitation, maintenance of various flood embankments, repairs of damaged roads, educational institutions, supplying seeds to farmers in advance, ensuring security to the flood victims to check stealing of their belongings like cattle, ensuring safe drinking water and installation of water-purification plants during flood and post-flood periods came up for discussion.

The advisory council meeting, chaired by Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, approved the Electoral Rolls Ordinance 2007 subject to a few changes to prepare voter list with photograph.

The Electoral Roll Ordinance 1982 has been scrapped for making the new law on electoral rolls.

The new ordinance empowered the Election Commission to frame rules and regulations and incorporate provision for one-year imprisonment of anyone who creates obstacle during enrolling voters.

The meeting also approved in principle the draft of the Private University Ordinance 2007 "aiming to upgrade the standards of education, transparency and accountability of the private universities", according to Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim.

Members of the advisory council attended the meeting at the Chief Adviser's Office. Cabinet secretary and other concerned secretaries were also present.