The prime minister gave the directive while exchanging opinions with some ministers during receiving donations for flood victims at her office.

On her first working day yesterday after return from Bangkok, she received cheques for about Tk 2.37 crore and medicines worth about Tk 20 lakh from health ministry and its various organisations, science and ICT ministry, water resources ministry, Bepza, Standard Chattered Bank and Rajshahi University.

Health Minister Dr Khandokar Mosharraf Hossain and State Minister for Health Mizanur Rahman Sinha, Science and ICT Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Water Resources Minister Hafizuddin Ahmed and State Minister Goutam Chakarvarty handed over the donations. Besides, Bepza chairman, CEO of Standard Chattered Bank and vice-chancellor of Rajshahi University made donations on behalf of respective organisations.

Prime Minister Khaleda particularly asked for making lasting arrangements for preventing river erosion and dredging rivers as part of permanent measures to prevent floods.

It has been mentioned that Bangladesh and India discussed joint water management and flood monitoring during the bilateral talks between Prime Minister Khaleda and her Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the just-concluded BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok.

Earlier on her arrival at the Zia International Airport from the Thai capital on Saturday night, Khaleda enquired her cabinet colleagues about latest situation of the floods in the country.

During the donation-receiving programme yesterday, the health minister apprised the prime minister of the activities of the ministry. He told Khaleda that, 4,000 medical teams had been working in various flood-affected areas. Some Tk 10 crore has been allocated for medicines for distribution to the flood victims and the allocation would be increased, if necessary.

The prime minister asked the officials concerned to take necessary preparations to tackle probable outbreaks of various diseases in the aftermath of flood.

She assured of providing "whatever support necessary to combat post-flood diseases".

Regarding medical service in shelters for the flood victims in Dhaka City, Khaleda was briefed that adequate physicians in co-ordination with the health ministry were engaged in the camps.

Meanwhile, a meeting for co-ordination of relief operation and implementation of post-flood rehabilitation programmes was scheduled to be held at the Prime Minister's Office later in the day with PM's Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Siddiqui in the chair.