Editorial
Brahmanbaria tornado
The urgent need is for help to victims
THE tornado which lashed Brahmanbaria on Friday sends out a critical message on the need for preparedness on our part where dealing with nature's fury is concerned. At the same time, it is an intimation that the season of storms, now that Baishakh is round the corner, is nearly upon us and that people need to brace for any and all eventualities arising out of such a situation.
The damage arising out of the tornado in Brahmanbaria is huge, considering that in a mere fifteen minutes of fury the twister left at least twenty people dead and many others injured. The extent of the devastation comes through clearly with as many as twenty villages in the district taking a battering. No fewer than 150 homes were destroyed by the twister. That being the picture even before Baishakh has arrived, one can well imagine the difficulties that people could face in the times up ahead.
That said, it now becomes important that the authorities come forward with emergency assistance for the victims of the tornado in Brahmanbaria. It can be fairly assumed that most of those who have died and their families are financially not well off and therefore are in need of help. At the same time, those who have had their homes ruined by the storm are in urgent need of materials to rebuild their dwellings. The local authorities, especially the union and upazila parishads, as well as local lawmakers should move quickly towards repairing the damage that has already been wreaked in Brahmanbaria. This can come through grants or loans on easy terms, together with supplies of building materials.
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