DHAKA, Aug 29 Reuter:A ma‘Jor opposition leader today rejected an invitation by President Hussain Mohammad Ershad for talks ‘On Ways to fight the devastating floods in Bangladesh, describing the offer as politically motivated.

Who is he to call a national ‘meeting? We don’t recognize him, Parliamentary opposition’ leader Sheikh Hasina told a news conference.

Ershad invited his opponents to @meeting onSeptember7 to try to ‘work out ways to combat the floods that have killed more than 700 people.

He said the devastation required every Bangladeshi to put controversies behind them and help the distressed.

 All 1 can tell you are that the So-called invitation is politically motivated, Hasina said.

 He knows he is there (as President) by resorting to a treachery. He now wants to prove to the world that he is an accepted leader, she added.

Another opposition group, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party headed by Begum Khaleda Zia, charged that ruling Jatiya Party Activists were siphoning off’ relief funds.

The ruling party thugs are trading on human misery, she told a Tally in the flood affected industrial town of Demra on the outskirts of Dhaka.

The National party and Hasina’s Awami League want Ershad to step down. They describe his government as illegal military dictatorship.

The Government rejected allegations by Hasina and Khaleda that rich donors were not responding to Dhaka’s call for help.

Foreign secretary Nazrul Islam told reporters two C130 Hercules transport planes would arrive on Monday with nearly 400 tons of food, medicine and blankets from Turkey.

‘The European community announced that it would send 25,000 tons of grain and 500,000 euro currency units (570,000 dollars) in emergency aid.

Fifteen countries and international agencies have already pledged 143,000 tons of food grain and 600,000 dollars in cash.

Ershad said Bangladesh would need about 100 million dollars in relief and cash to tide itself over the calamity.

Flood emergency officials said the water was receding throughout the country but they are disturbed by reports of epidemic in some areas.

Article extracted from this publication >>  September 4, 1987