Feature

A group of school children throng around a rickshaw-van at Dakkhin Southkhali village of Southkhali union in Sarankhola upazila in Bagerhat district where Bazlur Rahman Khan is leading the scouts in distribution of bottles of safe drinking water. More than four weeks have passed since the devastating cyclone Sidr struck five coastal districts.

As he works, he keeps up a steady patter of encouragement: 'I know it is not adequate,' he says. 'We are trying to distribute many more water bottles.' He then hands over packets of oral saline. He tells the children to come back to the spot the next day.

The natural disaster struck on November 12, 2007, its magnitude and severity were overwhelming: Thousands of people were killed in the coastal regions. Many of the hurricane survivors had been left homeless, with winter coming soon. The place looked like hell: School buildings were flattened, big trees uprooted, debris was everywhere, including carcasses of animals that were the region's lifeblood.

Bazlur Rahman, joint secretary of Sarankhola Upazila Scouts lost his 75-year-old father Khan Sayedur Rahman whose body was recovered from a paddy field four days after the catastrophe. Bazlur's younger brother Badal Khan lost his two minor kids, three-year-old Mehdi Hasan and six-year-old Munni along with their 25 year old mother Bilkis Begum. Their battered bodies were found three days after the disaster. Later, all were buried on the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) embankment.

Bazlur said the family members took shelter at No. 95 Southkhali Bablatala Adarsha Registered Primary School in the evening on the fateful day. It was raining which was accompanied by gusty wind. It was about 8 at night when the high velocity spiral wind triggered a 20 feet tidal surge from the Baleshwar estuary. Within seconds, the school wall collapsed washing away scores of people. Bazlur only heard his father saying, 'Hold me'. Then all got washed away. Bazlur and his brother were saved as they firmly held on to a tree. Next morning, the body of his brother's wife was found on a tree and their two minor sons two kilometers away. A team of coast guards distributed a tent to his brother 12 days after the tragedy.

With the terrible experience in the back of his mind, Bazlur is now engaged in relief and rehabilitation activities in the hurricane-ravaged area along with his comrades of the Sundarban Sub-Camp.

Sundarban Sub-Camp's response is coordinated by the soft-spoken Chief National Commissioner of Bangladesh Scouts, M Fazlur Rahman. His heart sank when he heard the news of the hurricane. He cut down expenses of the 7-day long International Centenary COMDECA commencing at Cox's Bazar December 7-14. Bangladesh Scouts organized the Asia-Pacific Regional Centenary COMDECA commemoration 100 years of the global scout movement with the theme, 'Breaking Down the Barriers.' The chief national commissioner extended its activities to five Sidr-affected coastal districts and deployed the scouts of Sundarban Sub-Camp in the region. The Base-Camp was set up at Amua near the river port in Kathalia upazila in Jhalakati district. Centering the Base-Camp, the scouts started operation from five work camps. The camps are as below:

Baleshwar Work Camp situated at Padma Cyclone Shelter on the Baleshwar river of Patharghata upazila in Barguna district, COMDECA School Work Camp at Chhotobogi of Amtoli upazila, also in Barguna district, Gangamoti Work Camp at Gangamoti Cyclone Shelter of Kalapara upazila in Patuakhali district, Sapleza School Work Camp of Mathbaria upazila in Pirojpur district and Sarankhola Degree College Work Camp of Sarankhola upazila in Bagerhat district.

Fazlur Rahman supervised distribution of packets of educational materials to a group of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinees on the Tafalbari School and College premises in Southkhali union of Sarankhali upazila. Each packet included lantern, khata, pencil, instrument box, pencil cutter, eraser, writing pad, bed-sheet and mosquito net. On the fateful day, at least 31 scouts led by Sarankhola Upazila Scout Commissioner Badiuzzaman helped many people take safe shelter. Yet, the scout chief lamented saying lots of people still lacked the knowledge and skill of disaster survival, which otherwise would have helped many more to survive.

In Southkhali, it was like walking into hell. There is virtually no one in the region who didn't lose a loved one. The BWDB embankment abounds with graves and piles of debris all around. Twenty-six family members of Rajeshwar Khan Bari died in Southkhali, said the lone 93-year-old house owner Hajee Abdul Jabbar. "Allah granted me long life only to bury so many dear ones at a time," he murmured. Yet, life is returning steadily, because of local people's deeply held faith in Allah's will.

Scouts are providing tents and other provisions to help people brave the harsh winter. United National Development Programme (UNDP), international NGOs like ActionAid, Oxfam, DFID, Bangladesh government and even a UK expatriate and Director of Central London Youth Development Abdul Aziz Toki. A former high official of the government named Sk Altaf Ali also came forward to help the Sidr victims.

The sound of banging of hammers now resounds in villages all over the coastal region. Scouts are rebuilding the damaged houses. They will work for 101 days to get the region back on its feet.

One almost-leveled upazila was Patharghata in Barguna. Many houses, schools, mosques, Union Parishad (UP) offices had collapsed. Before the Sidr, Patharghata was spectacularly beautiful. Little houses, paddy fields, coconut trees and quiet ponds created a serene aura all around. All these are now bygone stories.

Today, 1,500 scouts out of 6,000 are conducting relief-rehabilitation and community development work across the affected zone, said National Commissioner of Community Development and Health Mihir Kanti Majumder while on a stopover at Patharghata Degree College Camp after his whirlwind visit in the region. He said the scouts have set a target of building 1,000 new houses. Of them, 100 houses have been constructed already. About their ongoing activities, Mihir said they are preparing seed beds to supply seeds of winter crops; repairing roads; demonstrating how to prepare oral saline and make people aware about the healthcare rules.

The national commissioner announced, "We have a new slogan and campaign for a coastal green barrage along the 200 kilometre area stretching from Sundarbans to Cox's Bazar. This will be as part of our Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP)"

Even after 25 days of the catastrophe, electricity was not restored in Mathbaria completely. At many places, electric poles were seen lying around. The upazila town and its surroundings remained inaccessible by road for two weeks after the cyclone. Scouts based at Sapleza Model Secondary School Camp rendered humanitarian services to the victims.

Md Abdus Sattar, a Leader Trainer and member of the National Executive Committee of Bangladesh was holding everything together at COMDECA Work Camp at Chhotobi in Amtoli (Taltoli) upazila in Barguna district. He enjoyed his role as organizer, supporter and scrounger. One of his best qualities was he befriends all.

All the programmes of Sundarban Sub-Camp were divided into seven challenges. Those were: Challenge-1: Good morning world through morning walk and BPPT. Challenge-2: Home sweet home. Camp life and sleeping in tents is an excellent experience with sweet memories to all scouts and rovers. Challenge-3: Let's do it together. Under the challenge, scouts conduct social developmental activities through distribution of seed, books and school furniture and livestock service. Challenge-4: (Exploring Nature) Building awareness about protection of bio-diversity, visiting hurricane-affected forests and moves to create green barrage. Challenge-5: (Camp Fire) Recreational activities after a hard day's work. Challenge-6: (well-being) Scouts try to materialise the famous saying of BP: 'Try to leave this world better than you got it,' and Challenge-7 is Learning from COMDECA).

With thousands of dead, the catastrophe will be felt for years to come, but there is consolation that alongside others the Scouts have extended their helping hands towards the Sidr victims in rebuilding their lives.