DRISHTIPAT  
Voice for human rights in Bangladesh  
| Contact Us | News Articles |  
 
 
 
Trip To Bhola: "Annada Prasad" Cries in silence & anguish  
 
 

Story of Daughter in Law & Mother in Law

We the following persons on behalf of Annada Prasad Rehabilitation Project Committee (APRPC) left Dhaka on 8th March, 2003 early in the morning 7 am for Bhola in a microbus.

 

1.      Prof. Ajoy Roy, Convenor

2.      Mr. Pankaj Bhattacharya, Member & Vice president of Sammilita Samajik

Andolan

3.      Ms. Manira Akhter Ratna, Advocate, Ain o Salis Kendra

4.      Mr. Ratan Bangali, Member, a human right activist

 

In another microbus the following persons from Proshika accompanied us.

5.      Mr. Mostaq ul Alam, Assoc. Programme Coordinator

6.      Mr. Sanjan Kumar Barua,  Assoc. Programme Coordinator, 

      and a few members of the of Proshika video team.    

  

We arrived Bhola town in the evening, at about 7 pm the same day. On the following morning we were joined by two Proshika officials from Dhaka, a journalist from Daily Prathom Alo and a humanist activist of APRPC all came by river whole night. They were

 

7.      Mr. J. K. Baral, Director

8.      Mr. Sirajul Islam, Deputy Director

9.      Mr. Golum Kibriya, Staff Reporter, Prathom Alo & the local Correspondent of the daily.

10.  Mr. Ratan Bangali, Member (APRPC) and a humanist activist. 

 

We also joined by the members of the local members of the Annada Prasad Rehabilitation Project Committee, Bhola. Notable among the were

 

1.      Mr. A K M Shajahan, Senior Advocate, Bhola district bar

2.      Mr. Mobaswerulla Choudhury, Journalist, Sangbad’s Bhola correspondent

3.      Mr. Shariful Islam Bappi, Human right activist, Udichi (Bhola0

4.      Mr. Mashiur Rahman Pinku, Human right activist, President Local Chhatra Union

5.      Mr. Kamrul Ahsan, Lecturer in Bengali, Obaidul Haq College, Bhola    

 

The following local Journalists also joined us

 

1.      Afzal Hosain, Staff reporter Daily Ajker Barta (Bhola)  & local Janakantha reporter

2.      Mr. Sujan Choudhury, Bhola Staff reporter, Ajker Barta (Bhola)

3.      A representative of Daily Star, Sent by Barisal Daily Star correspondent Mr. Shaheen at the instruction of News Editor, Dhaka.

 

Function of Agriculture Rehabilitation Project

Date 9th March, 2003, Sunday, 10 –30 am

Place : Proshika office, Bhola

 

Local Proshika, Bhola at the auditorium of the Proshika office, organized a function of handing over of check for agriculture-rehabilitation project. 31 beneficiary families of Annada Prasad village and adjacent localities attended the function. The following persons, among others-, addressed the function, presided over by the Proshika Director from Dhaka Mr. J K Baral

 

Mrs. Sadhana Bala Das & Bibhuti Bhusan Majumdar (on behalf of beneficiary families)

Mr. Mobaswerulla Choudhury (on behalf of the elite of the town)

Mr. Sirajul Islam, Deputy Director, Proshika (Dhaka office)

Advocate Ms. Munira Akhter Ratna,

Mr. Pankaj Bhattacharya

Professor Ajoy Roy

 

Professor Ajoy Roy gave brief resume of the project and how it came into being and it was gradually implemented with the active cooperation of Bhola district administration, Upzila administration and above all inhabitants of the village Annada Prasad.  The function was rounded up with the distribution of cheques to the affected families. Cheques were handed over by Professor Ajoy Roy. The function ended with free discussion and exchange of views with the villagers followed by a delicious lunch of deshi foods.        

 

Function of handing over keys of newly constructed houses to the affected families

Date 10th March, 2003, Monday, 10 –30 am

Place : GM Bazar Junior High School Premise, Village: Annada Prasad, Union Lord

            Hardinge, Ps Lamohan, District Bhola.

 

The local inhabitants of the Annada Prasad and adjacent Fatemabad village organized the function. More than a thousand of villagers, men and women, students and common folk attended the function. Local elite of the villages including school teachers, elected union chairman, members, Thana oc and Upazila Executive officer. The district commissioner of Bhola was the chief guest. I have not witnessed such a simple function but sincere & lively. The DC formally handed over keys formally to thirty families who received newly constructed houses in the function presided over by Mr. Lalit Mohan Das, Head Master of GM Junior High School followed by an address of the DC. The function was also addressed by, among others, Professor Ajoy Roy, Mr. Pankaj Bhattacharya, Journalist Mobaswerulla Choudhury, Union Parisad Chairman and Upazila Executive officer.

 

The function was then followed by visitation of few houses by the honourable team members. DC talked to many members of the beneficiary families and assured his continued support to them and the villagers in general. He instructed the Thana officials to keep vigilant eyes over the locality. He urged upon the Muslim leaders of the locality to keep communal harmony in the locality.

 

The guests then depart for Proshika office, Borhanuddin, where a delicious lunch with deshi foods was served. The team then left for Bhola. The memory of the function will remain green for many a days, I suppose.

 

National Dailies like Prothom Alo (10th and 11th March), Janakantha (10th March) and Sangbad (13th & 17th March), Daily Star (11th March ?), and local daily Bhola Varta (10th & 11th March) gave a good coverage of the functions.

 

 Summary of Expenditure in the last phase of work

Serial no.

Nature of help

Quantity required/

no. of families

Price/help Rate (Tk)

Total amount (Tk)

1

Supply of Water filter system with reservoir (developed by Canadian International Purification Ltd ) for

30 families

 

 

30

 

 

3,000/-

 

 

90,000/-

 

 

 

 

 

2

Supply of high class two-faced Chula (oven) (developed by BCSIR)

 

30

 

500/-

 

15,000/-

 

 

 

 

 

3

Lease of Land of one kani (160 dec.)to some victim families

 

22

 

8,000/-

 

1,76,000/-

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

Miscellaneous income generating help to some victim families

 

9

 

-

 

53,500/-

 

 

 

                                                      

                                                         Total Expenditure

3,34,500/-

(Three lakh thirty four thousand five hundred only

The expenditure incurred in travel and other incidental matters have not been included in the above statement.

 

Appendix 1 A

 

AP_ Rehabilitation Project :

Income generating Agricultural ( financial ) Assistance

 

List of twenty two families receiving lease of land for one year.

 

The area of land to be taken as lease: One Kani (160 decimals)

 

Amount of needed for one Kani land (One acre sixty decimals) : t 7000.00

Additional assistance for cultivation of land t. 500 – 1000.00 

 

Name of the family

Amount advanced

(in BT taka) *

Remark, if any

1. Bisnu Priya Das, w/o Ramani Mohan Das

    Vill: Fatemabad (near Prafulla Howladarer

    bari)

   Family size : 5

7,500

This is a victim family.

2. Shefali Das, w/o Subhash Chandra Das

Vill: Annada Prasad (Lalitmohan Daser bari)

7,500

This is a victim family.

3. Gauranga Chandra Das (alias Gafur), s/o

    Raju Das

    Vill : Annada Prasad (near GM Bazar-

    Subal dokandarer bari)

    Family size : 4

7,500

This is a victim family. Both his wife and daughter of 9 years were the victim of sexual assault.

4. Shubhadra Rani Das (widow), w/o late

    Kshitish Chandra Das

    Vill : Annada Prasad (near GM Bazar-

   Subal dokandarer bari)

    Family size : 2

7,500

 

5. Nitai Chandra Das, s/o late Kshitish

    Chandra Das

    Vill : Annada Prasad (near GM Bazar-

    Subal dokandarer bari)

    Family size : 3

7,500

 

6. Sudhanya Chandra Das, s/o late Nakul

    Chandra Das

    Vill : Annada Prasad (near GM Bazar-

    Dipak Chandra Daser bari)

    Family size : 5

7,500

This is a victim family. His daughter Babita Rani Das was the victim. AP project is also supporting Babita’s education under ‘Continuation Education’ scheme

7. Parimal Chandra Das (30), s/o late

   Amulya Chandra Das

    Vill : Madhya Annada Prasad (near GM

    Bazar- Gunamani Daser bari)

    Family size : 4

7,500

This is a victim family

8. Narayan Chandra Das (45), s/o late

    Shashi Kumar Das

    Vill : Annada Prasad (S.E. of GM

    Bazar- Harihar Daser bari)

    Family size : 4

7,500

 

9. Himanshu Chandra Das, s/o late Pratap

    Chandra Das

    Vill : Madhya Annada Prasad (N.E corner

    of GM Bazar)

    Family size : 4

7,500

 

10. Radhamohan Das (30), s/o

      Mohanbashi Das

     Vill : Madhya Annada Prasad (N.E of

     GM Bazar & S. E. of Vendor Bari-

     Baikuntha Daser bari)

     Family size : 4

7,500

 

11. Ranga Devi Das (30), w/o Manik Das

     Vill : Dakshin Annada Prasad (Ganesh

     Duhupir bari )

     Family size : 4

7,500

 

12. Ranjit Das, s/o late Dwarika Mohan Das

     Vill : Fatemabad (Budhimanta Daser bari)

     Family size : 4

7,500

 

13. Archana Rani Das (student of class V)

     d/o Nityalal Das

     Vill : Annada Prasad

     Family size : 4

7,500

This is a victim family. AP project is also supporting her  education under ‘Continuation Education’ scheme

14. Charubala Das, w/o Umesh Chandra Das

     Vill : Annada Prasad

     Family size : 4

7,500

This is a victim family.

15. Priyanka Bala Das, d/o Becharam Das

     Vill : Annada Prasad

     Family size : 4

7,500

This is a victim family.

16. Suradhini Das, w/o Brajabashi Das

     Vill : Annada Prasad

     Family size : 4

7,500

This is a victim family.

17. Emili Das (11), a student of class VI, d/o

     Yubaraj Das

     Vill : Annada Prasad

     Family size : 4

7,500

This is a victim family. AP project is also supporting her  education under ‘Continuation Education’ scheme

18. Usharani Das, w/o Dinesh Chandra Das

     Vill : Annada Prasad

     Family size : 4

7,500

This is a victim family. Her husband’s whereabouts is not known.

19. Charubala Das (40), w/o Radhamohan

      Das

      Vill : Annada Prasad

      Family size : 2

7,500

This is a victim family.

20. Lakshmi Rani Das, w/o Maran Chandra

      Das

     Vill : Annada Prasad  (Companir Pukur

     Locality- Baikuntha Daser bari )

     Family size : 4

7,500

This is a victim family.

21. Putul Rani Das (25), w/o Bechram Das

      Vill : Annada Prasad (Nishi Daser bari) 

      Family size : 4 

7,500

This is a victim family.

22. Radha Rani Das (40), w/o late Brajendra

      Das

      Vill : Fatemabad (Prafulla Howladarer

      bari)

7,500

She is a day labourer.

 

 

 

Total beneficiaries: 22 families

165,000

 

 

(One lakh sixty five thousand only)

 

 

* Another sum of t. 500.00 per family has been provided for agricultural implements later on. So each family has been given a total sum of t. 8,000.00 for agricultural assistance for the income generating scheme.

 

Hence the total amount given to 22 families as agricultural income generating assistance :

 

Tk. 22 * 8,000 = Tk. 176,000 ( Taka One seventy six thousand only).    

 

Appendix 1B

 

AP_ Rehabilitation Project :

Miscellaneous income generating financial assistance

 

List of nine families

Name of the family

Amount advanced

(in BT taka)

Remark, if any

1. Chapa Rani Das, w/o Suresh Chandra Das

    (daughter in law of Mangal Krishna Das-

    age over 70)

    Vill: Annada Prasad

    bari)

    Family size : 5

7,500

Assistance given for buying a cow.

2. Rajkumar Das (age over 100),

    Vill: Dakshin Annada Prasad (Rajkumar

    Daser bari)

5,000

Assistance given for his treatment of eyes.

3. Sadhana Bala Majumdar (45), w/o Bibhuti

    Bhusan Majumdar

    Vill : Annada Prasad

    Family size : 4

10,000

This is a victim family. Her husband has a small medicine shop, which was looted during those dreadful days following the last general election.

4. Phulu Rani Das, w/o Juran Chandra Das

    Vill : Annada Prasad

    Family size : 4

4,000

This is a victim family. Her husband is a trained tailor. The assistance is given in aid to his tailoring business.

5. Maya Rani Das (25), w/o Tapan Chandra

    Das

    Vill : Annada Prasad

    Family size : 4

8,000

This is a victim family. Her husband has a small grocery shop. The aid is given in support of his business.  

 

 

 

6. Philurani Das (15), d/o Khagendra

    Chandra Das

    Vill : S. W. Annada Prasad (Madan Daser

    bari)

    Family size : 4

5,000

Father needs for her daughter’s marriage.

7. Basantibala Das (40), w/o Narayan

    Chandra Das

    Vill : S. W. Annada Prasad (Raj Kumar

    Daser bari)

5,000

For Muri business

8. Arati Rani Das, w/o Babul Chandra Das

    Vill : Annada Prasad (Paloyaner bari /

    Benode Daser bari)

4,000

Her husband is a trained tailor. Aid is given for buying a sewing machine

9. Abdul Haque, s/o late Nurul Haque. He is a poor rickshaw puller.

Vill : Annada Prasad (adjacent to Lalit Mohan Dase bari)

5,000

An assistance is given for buying a new rickshaw

 

 

 

Total beneficiaries: nine families

53,500

(Taka fifty three thousand five hundred only)

 

 

Summary of assistance given for income generating scheme :

 

1. Agricultural assistance to 22 families : Tk. 176,000.00

 

2. Miscellaneous income generating assistance to 9 families :  Tk. 53,500.00

                                                                                                        

Total income generating assistance provided to 31 families : Tk. 2,29,500.00 ( Two lakh twenty nine thousand five hundred only)

 

Report Prepared by : Prof. Ajoy Roy 

Previos Page

 
     

 
 
  1