DHAKA: Emergency medicine items, weighting 1.5 tonnes and worth about Tk 1 crore, are being sent to Myanmar for its flood-affected people.

The relief items were loaded on the cargo vehicles at Central Medical Store Depot (CMSD) around 9:45am Friday.

The medicines would be sent to Myanmar through a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight ob Saturday, sources concerned said.

During visit to CMSD PM’s principal secretary Abul Kalam Azad said Bangladesh is sending life-saving medicines to the flood affected neighboring country at the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“We are ready to send more medicines as per their necessity. The medical assistance will reach Myanmar on Saturday,” he added.

Foreign ministry secretary (maritime affairs) rear admiral (retd) Khurshid Alam, health secretary Syed Manjurul Islam, health department director general professor Dr Deen Mohammad Nurl Haque were, among others, present during the time.

Emergency medical assistance includes medicines & kits, water purification tablets, blankets and tents.

Myanmar has also been experiencing heavy torrential rains since the end of June, associated with the southwest monsoon system, which marks the start of the rainy season and lasts until October that 69 people lost their lives, with some 259,000 people affected.

A state of emergency was declared after the rains displaced tens of thousands of people, flooded vast swathes of paddy field and prompted fears of dams collapsing.

BDST: 1046/1525 HRS, AUG 7, 2015
RS