Sidr Victims’ Compensation Fund

As most of the readers would know, Bangladesh was struck by a massive cyclone in mid-November.  The death toll stands in thousands, communities have been shattered, damage to crops, livestock and property is expected to run into billions of US dollars, and over 7 million Bangladeshis are suffering from the immediate aftermath of Sidr.  Most ominously, the country faces a grave shortage of food, and a real possibility of famine.  This post continues from some recent on what we can do.

Of frustration, hope, and resolve

Fellow blogger Asif said this the other day:

In the last 8 days of fund relief via TV channels in the UK, I couldn’t find a single not faith based organization that were getting relief via TV. These people from various faith based organizations, were out there on the field collecting money, volunteering etc that wins hearts and minds of common people. While, we folks, the so called liberals, are analyzing things ad nauseum.

My observations accord with his.  I don’t know about him, but I feel frustrated.  A lot.  

Sidr – what you can do

If you’re in Bangladesh, you may remit cash directly to the following account: 

Chief Adviser’s Relief and Welfare Fund, Current Account No. 33004093, Sonali Bank, Prime Minister’s Office Branch, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh. SWIFT Code : BSONBDDH  

Ref: Chief Advisor’s Office Website (http://www.cao.gov.bd/rwfund07/rw_fund.html)

We shall overcome

A very powerful cyclone, named Sidr, hit Bangladesh Thursday night. 

I could write about how this compares in terms of death and destruction with previous storms that ravaged the country.  But I won’t.  The official death toll stands at 1,200 or so when I write this.  But almost certainly this will rise.  

The country’s utilities infrastructure has been severely disrupted.  I could collate the news of the damage as it comes through. But I’ll direct the reader to the excellent efforts of Rezwan and Zafa. 

I won’t even try to write about what I, and many others like me who are cut off from home, are feeling.  Instead, I’ll direct the reader to this Dhaka-bashi.

The cyclone is likely to have severely damaged the country’s autumn crop.  Beyond the immediate relief and rehabilitation, this means an aggravation of an already spiralling food price inflation.  But on that, perhaps some other time. 

And beyond that, perhaps this is a sign of the future.  Perhaps global warming means we have to brace for more of these happening at a greater frequency.  Perhaps. 

But I won’t despair.  I won’t despair because this is not the first time that this has happened to Bangladesh.  And, global warming or not, this won’t be the last.  We did overcome this, in 1991, and before that in 1970, and countless times before that.  And we shall overcome, this time, and the next one, and the one after that.

As the old leader said, ‘amader dabaye rakhte parba na’.