The Bangladesh government has donated 10,000 metric tonnes of rice for the earthquake victims of Nepal, with the last convoy of 521 trucks reaching Nepal through Banglabandha frontier.
The consignment was formally handed over to Kamal B Thapa, Assistant CDO, Jhapa district, and stored in the warehouses of Food Corporation of Nepal in Birtamod and Chandrakuri for onward distribution, said a foreign ministry release.
Earlier, soon after the natural disaster hit Nepal, a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on May 4 decided to send 10,000 MT of rice and adequate drinking water to Nepal as part of humanitarian assistance for the earthquake victims.
Government and other agencies in Bangladesh as well have sent various items as humanitarian assistance to Nepal.
Earlier, Bangladesh sent 850 tents, 254 pieces of tarpaulin, 20 rolls of polythene, 66 pieces of plastic mats, 6,500 liters of bottled drinking water, 6,700 kg of medicines and medical equipment, 90 kg of cotton, 45 kg of bandages, 10 bottles of Savlon, 1,750 liters of bleaching powder, 77 cartons of readymade garments, 2,300 pieces of blankets and various kinds of biscuits and other dry foods.
These relief materials were sent to Kathmandu by special Bangladesh Air Force flights on April 26, May 1, May 3, May 7 and May 9, 2015.
A 30-member medical team of the Bangladesh Army also went there on April 26, and the team returned after 13 days of their medicare services in Nepal on May 9. The Bangladesh Army Medical Team worked in Bhaisepati, Lalitpur.
The Bangladesh embassy has also been working with several private organisations and has distributed relief materials in several areas in Lalitpur and Dhulikhel as well as several villages in Sindhupalchowk, Nuwakot and Gorkha.
The children of embassy officials have formed volunteer groups and are distributing relief goods to earthquake victims staying in camps.
Other organisations, institutions and private individuals who provided assistances include Bangladesh Rural Advancement Council (BRAC), Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB), Water Aid Bangladesh, Rupantor Bangladesh, Nazrul Parishad, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and the members of the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh.
