Report Aila steps in 20 days

The High Court (HC) yesterday directed the government to submit a report within 20 days on what steps it has taken for infrastructure developments at the Aila affected areas of the country.
The bench also issued a rule upon the government to explain within four weeks why it should not be directed to take necessary steps for infrastructure development at Aila affected areas including repairing of its 1,742 kilometres of embankments and making a law for disaster management.
A bench of the HC comprised of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain passed the order following a writ petition filed as public interest litigation by advocate Shahidul Islam, a Supreme Court lawyer.
Citing some newspaper reports published on May 25, Shahidul stated in the petition that around 40 lakh people of 64 upazillas of 11 districts -- Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Borguna, Pirojpur, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barisal, Noakhali, Laksmipur and Chittagong have been affected due to Cyclone Aila on May 25, 2009.
He said properties of the affected people, 1,742 kilometres of embankments, and about 4,500 educational institutions of those areas were damaged due to Aila, but the government's efforts in this regard is very poor.
The constitution of the country has guaranteed people's fundamental rights to life and their livelihood and properties, but such rights for Aila affected people have been violated, as the government has not taken proper steps, he added.
Director General of Disaster Management Bureau and Chairman of the Water Development Board have to submit the report to the HC on the steps taken to develop Aila affected areas, as per its order.
Moreover, the Executive Committee of National Economic Council, secretaries to the ministries of food and disaster management, finance and its economic relations department, planning, and water resources, law, and cabinet division, and president's office, and principal secretary to the prime minister's office have been made respondents to the rule.
The petitioner himself moved the petition, while Deputy Attorney General Nazrul Islam Talukder represented the government.