Dhaka: Accusing the government of ' making mockery' with the flood victims who are 'wailing' for food and pure drinking water in the country's northeastern region, BNP on Thursday asked its leaders and activists to stand by the disaster-hit people with relief materials.

Speaking at a press conference at BNP's Nayapaltan central office, party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also alleged that the government has failed to provide the flood-affected people with relief materials as the public silos have got empty due to corruption and looting.

"Many areas of the country's northeastern districts, including Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Kurigram and Lalmonirhat, have got flooded due to rain and onrush of water from the upstream. People in those areas are either starving or remaining half-fed," the BNP leader said.

He said though the Prime Minister on Tuesday claimed to have enough preparation to face natural disasters like flood, the victims are yelling for relief materials and food.

"The government is giving the flood victims a little bit of wheat in some areas instead of rice and freshwater which they can't dry up and grind amid rain. Isn't the government mocking with flood-hit people? Actually, it's exposed that the state silos have become empty due to plundering," Rizvi observed.

Under the circumstances, he urged the BNP leaders and workers at all levels to go to the flood-affected areas with food and other essentials to ease sufferings of the victims.

Referring to media reports that the government has decided to import 5 lakh metric tonnes of crude salt, the BNP leader said it seems that the country braces for another famine like the one in 1974.