Fortunate deputy minister's men

The relief materials were distributed as per a list prepared earlier, according to allegations made by political leaders including BNP men and local Union Parishad members.

After the Prime Minister's departure from Ulipur, it was alleged that 38 of the recipients enlisted earlier were Dulu's men who were not flood affected.

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Local Union Parishad member Mahbuber Rahman lodged a written complaint to the Ulipur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) in this regard on behalf of the flood affected people.

Within three hours, the UP member was "picked up" from the UNO office and compelled to withdraw the complaint.

He withdrew it, but by that time passed on copies of the complaint to newsmen. Since then he is absconding following alleged threat, according to his family members.

Sources in Kurigram District Relief and Rehabilitation (DRR) office said relief distribution among the enlisted people remained suspended following the UP member's allegation.

A fresh list of the affected people is being prepared, the sources further said.

Several hundred flood affected people of Dhamchrini union in Ulipur upzila laid a siege to the Ulipur UNO office on August 17 demanding relief materials. They also gave a memorandum the UNO, addressed to the Prime Minister.

Different political parties brought out processions at Ulipur denouncing the nepotism by the minister and demanding a fresh list for relief distribution.

BNP and Four-Party Alliance leaders in Kurigram are in an embarrassing situation now because of the allegation against the Deputy Minister, sources in the parties said.

Meanwhile the relief ministry hurriedly sent a post-dated letter to the DRR office to cover-up the whole thing.

DRR office sources said that a ministry letter (memo No 282 /25/5) issued on May 5 was sent to the DRR office by a special messenger. It reached the DRR office on August 17.

The letter said the relief materials distributed by the Prime Minister on August 12 were allocated under a special arrangement for rehabilitation, not for flood affected people of Ulipur.

The Prime Minister had distributed money and CI sheets among the enlisted "flood affected" people of Dhamchhirini union at Ulipur stadium.

Forty-three men of the Deputy Minister got CI sheets and Tk 1000 each, sources said.