FARIDPUR: Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Engineer Khandker Mosharraf Hossain yesterday said the flood victims would pay back the loans of NGOs after the harvesting period, reports BSS.

"Flood victims will repay the loans taken from NGOs (non-government organisations) after the harvesting period starts as they are not able to pay back right now," he said while distributing relief materials among the flood-hit people at North Channel union of Sadar upazila of the

district.

The minister said the present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has taken all sorts of programmes to recoup the losses caused by the natural

calamities.

"We will always stand beside you," he told the flood affected people.

He further said the present government is more capable of tackling any disaster than the past ones.

Moshsharraf was very critical of the BNP-Jamaat government saying, "They, while in power, did not do any significant development for the people of the coastal belt."

Referring to different development activities of the incumbent government, the LGRD minister said the people's fate has been changed as they are now getting different facilities including education for girls, necessary electricity supply and better road communication link.

Earlier, the minister distributed 10 kilogram rice for each of 3,000 flood-affected people of the union.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Faridpur Ummey Salma Tanjia, Faridpur Sadar Upazila Chairman Khadaker Mohtashem Hossain Babar and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Provangshu Som Mohan, among others, accompanied

the minister.