Online Voices

Landslide death toll 85
13 others die of drowning, lightning as downpour triggers floods in south-eastern region.
(Thursday, June 28, 2012)

We are very sorry at the death of 85 people in landslide due to heavy rainfall in Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Bandarban districts. The government should help the victim families. I pray to Allah for the salvation of the departed souls.
Md. Shamsul Haque

Those people living in landslide-prone areas were reportedly warned of the probable dangers by the authorities concerned and were asked to move. However, they ignored the instruction. It is understandable how difficult it is for these poor people to leave their home lock, stock and barrel. The government should have arranged safe temporary shelters for these people and then persuaded them to vacate their danger-prone settlements.
F Khan

This is not accident, this is murder.
M. Mahboob Hossain

Words are not enough to express our condolence to the victim families. Government has allocated foods and other stuffs for them now, but will it bring back the lost lives? Steps should have been taken before the accident took place rather than helping the victims after it is over.
Arif

People living in the CHT districts aren't so alert. We all should come forward to help them.
Sheikh Fozlul Karim

The people who live in the hills are also aware of the landslide. Then why do they continue to live there during monsoon?
Mohammad Nurul Hoque, Malaysia

The Chittagong district administration cannot ignore its responsibility in implementing the meeting's proposals. The Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong only presided over the meetings, but did not monitor whether the meeting's proposals were being implemented. How many times he has visited the disaster-prone sites with his colleagues? What preventive measures did he take to avoid the disasters that happen during the monsoon? The government should prohibit deforestation, hill cutting and unplanned building of human settlements below the hills.
It is high time the government adopted a policy of National Landslide Preparedness & Safety Measures wih the advice and collaboration of experts. A family disaster plan should also be prepared with the participation of the Fire Service & Civil Defense, army, police, navy and coast guards with modern and sophisticated search and rescue equipment.
Kazi Salim

The poor hill people are not aware of this kind of incident. The government should have taken initiatives in advance, to make them aware of the landslide, as it occurs almost every year in the hilly areas in rainy season.
Anonymous