Expressing grave concern at the loss of life and property in floods, they said everybody should come forward to help the flood victims as it is not possible for the government alone to combat the natural disaster.

Meanwhile, different NGOs including Brac and Caritas have spearheaded their relief operations to help the flood-affected people across the country.

They also pleaded the government to take necessary steps so that people can take part in relief programmes carried out in the country.

BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan gave instructions to party activists to provide relief materials to the flood victims according to their ability.

"Everybody should help the flood-affected people. If the government does not allow relief operations under political banner it should be done personally," he told the reporters at his Gulshan residence yesterday.

Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday urged people of all walks of life to come forward to help millions of people marooned in different parts across the country.

He stressed the need for forging national unity irrespective of political ideologies and personal identity to tackle the situation.

“No legal restriction on politicians exists in standing beside the flood-affected people,” he said at a press conference at the National Press Club yesterday, a day after the top leaders of present government made an appeal to all for helping the flood victims.

Dr Kamal said the chief adviser should address the nation at this moment of crisis in order to inform people about the actual gravity of the situation.

Workers Party yesterday formed 'people's relief committee' for conducting relief operation. As per the decision of party's relief section, the committee will coordinate relief activities across the country. .

Jamaat leaders yesterday directed party activists to carry out relief operation to save the flood-affected people.

In a joint statement, Jamaat Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami and Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid expressed their concern over the present flood situation and urged party activists and countrymen to stand beside the flood victims.

Former minister ASM Abdur Rob in a statement yesterday called upon the government to form a national disaster prevention council to tackle the situation.

JSD President Hasanul Haque Inu and General Secretary Syed Zafar Sajjad in a joint statement urged the party leaders and activists to stand beside the flood victims.

They requested party activists as well as people in general to contact the party's relief activities coordination centre at Col Taher auditorium to help the flood-affected people.

They urged the government to allow the political parties open their offices in the country so that they can carry out relief operations effectively.

Liberal Democratic Party leaders led by its Secretary General Maj (rtd) Abdul Mannan distributed relief materials among the marooned people in Sirajganj.

Communist Party leaders led by its President Manjurul Ahsan Khan also distributed relief materials among the flood-hit families in Sirajganj yesterday and will distribute relief items in Gaibandha today.

Meanwhile, Bangladeshi expatriates in USA also decided to collect relief materials to help the flood-affected people. The relief collection programme will begin at Jackson Heights Sunday.

NGO INITIATIVES
Responding to current floods that displaced several million people and continued to inundate more areas the country, NGOs backed by international partners have started providing the affected people with shelter, food and medical supplies.

Brac, one of the largest NGOs in the country, has started massive relief operations in all the flood-affected regions. Over 5000 full-time Brac staffs are engaged in distributing relief materials in about 100 upazilas.

Brac has already earmarked Tk 5 crore from its own resources and expects to mobilise donors to get additional Tk 15 crore for the relief programmes, according to a press release issued yesterday.

Brac has engaged its staffs, doctors, teachers and health workers to distribute food items as well as emergency medicines for the affected people, in addition to providing fresh water and sanitation facilities.

A round-the-clock control room (phone: 9881265, Ext 2305) has been set up at Brac headquarters at the Brac Centre, Mohakhali, to monitor and coordinate relief activities across the country.

Brac made an appeal to all to contribute to its relief efforts. All the 92 Brac offices in the capital will collect cash and relief materials to distribute those among the affected people.

Another NGO Caritas has announced to spend Tk 60 million for providing food, household items and shelters to the flood victims.

Caritas will distribute Tk 4 million among 7,500 flood-affected families, said a Caritas press release yesterday. Each family will get 10 kg of rice, 2 kg of dal, 1 kg of salt and 1 litre of soya bean oil in the worst affected areas of Netrakona, Sherpur, Sunamganj, Mymensingh, Sirajganj, Natore, Munshiganj and Manikganj

It will also distribute non-food items worth Tk 8.2 million among 1000 families affected by recent landslides in Chittagong, Bandarban and Cox's Bazar. Besides, Caritas will spend Tk 47.8 million for providing complete shelter to 1000 families affected by landslides and flash floods in the three districts.

Earlier, UK gave $2.5 million (Tk 17 crore) of immediate aid to provide food, fresh water, shelter and medicines to 50,000 people in the ten worst affected districts and special assistance through the Chars Livelihoods Programme.

UK's Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting government's ongoing relief work, channelling $1.8 million (Taka 12 crore) aid through United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BRCS) has launched its relief operation and distributed relief materials among 50,000 people in eight flood-affected districts of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Sirajganj, Faridpur, Tangail, Sylhet and Sunamganj.

Different government, non-government, civil society and socio-cultural organisation also came forward to help the flood victims.

All staffs of the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) yesterday donated their one day's salary for the flood-affected people of the country. Chairman of BTRC Major Gen (retd) Monzurul Alam gave a check to Chief Adviser's Relief Fund yesterday, said a press release.

All officials and employees of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board, Dhaka yesterday also decided to donate their one day's salary to the Chief Adviser's Relief Fund.

Sujan, a social organisation, yesterday formed a central coordination committee with Prof Muzaffer Ahmed as its convenor and Nasima Akhter Joly as its coordinator to collect relief materials and distribute those among the affected people.

Leaders of Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh yesterday asked all diploma engineers to donate their one day's salary to the Chief Adviser's Relief Fund. They also urged the members of the institution to form district relief committees and begin relief operations in the flood-hit districts.

Leaders of the Udichi Shilpi Gosthi central committee urged all activists of the organisation to stand beside the flood-hit people and advised them to collect relief materials and distribute those among the affected people.

Islami Bank and Islami Bank Foundation have begun relief distribution in the flood-affected districts. They already started distributing relief materials in Bogra, Gaibandha, Sirajganj, Kurigram, Pabna and other districts.