Erosion in Naria: PM 'irked' over lack of action from ministers, lawmakers

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday expressed anger as ministers and lawmakers did not visit Shariatpur's Naria upazila, which has been hit hard by the Padma erosion.

At yesterday's cabinet meeting, the PM said the ministers and the MPs did not take the matter seriously.

She then asked them to take an all-out effort to save Naria from the erosion and stand beside the victims, said sources in the meeting.

After the meeting, a senior minister told The Daily Star that Hasina was unhappy over the way the ministries concerned performed to tackle the situation.

Over the last few months alone, more than 4,000 families have lost their homes in five unions of the upazila due to the erosion. A recent Nasa report showed that the mighty Padma has devoured more than 66,000 hectares of land since 1967.

Speaking on another issue, the prime minister asked the education ministry to visit schools before bringing them under government's monthly pay order (MPO) facilities.

"Only scrutinising through online is not enough, you should visit the spot before taking a decision,” Hasina was quoted by the minister as saying.

After a suspension of seven years, the government has recently decided to bring new private educational institutions under its MPO scheme following teachers' demonstrations in the capital.