Bangladesh Imposes Austerity to Deal With Flood Losses

Flood-ravaged Bangladesh announced a number of money-saving measures Wednesday that included restricting wedding parties to no more than 50 guests and said it had stopped all transfers of diplomats abroad.

Foreign Secretary Nazrul Islam said the measures are part of a wide-ranging austerity package aimed at cutting costs by 10% and diverting savings to a relief fund. He said the fund will be used to fight hunger and disease in Bangladesh, which has seen much of its annual harvest wiped out by the worst flooding in 40 years.

Islam said the floods have killed 600 people, affected nearly 20 million, destroyed 1.5 million tons of crops and made more than one million people homeless.

Nearly one-fourth of Bangladesh’s 55,600 square miles was hit by flooding, Islam said.

Officials said nearly 150 people had died of diarrhea, dysentery and malaria in northern Bangladesh, the worst flooded area. About 40,000 others are ill from the diseases, newspapers and other sources said.

Islam said 15 countries and international agencies had offered emergency help.