Bangladesh to send 1 lakh tonnes rice
The government has decided to send one lakh tonnes of rice and adequate quantity of water for the quake-hit people in Nepal on an emergency basis.
The decision came at the weekly cabinet meeting at the secretariat yesterday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
After taking the decision, the PM told the meeting that Bangladesh would stand beside its neighbour with as much capacity as it has.
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury confirmed The Daily Star that the meeting had decided to send one-lakh tonnes of rice to Nepal.
“We will send 50,000 tonnes of rice on an urgent basis,” she said, adding, “I have urged the food minister to release the rice immediately.”
Currently, Bangladesh has sufficient rice stocks to aid disaster-hit Nepal, Matia said.
Sources said the rice would be transported to Nepal by road through northern borders of Bangladesh.
Besides, cargo planes and rescue helicopters would carry adequate quantity of water for the quake-hit people.
Meanwhile, four cargo trucks carrying 25 tonnes of relief materials left Dhaka for Nepal via Banglabandh-Fulbari-Panitanki-Kakarbhitta land route yesterday afternoon.
The relief materials include 3,000 cartons of dry food, fruit juice, 5,000 pieces of blankets, tents, water bottles and torchlight, according to a press release of Bangladesh embassy in Nepal.
More than 7,300 people have been killed in the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked Nepal on April 25. Thousands were injured and left homeless after the disaster.
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