Cox's Bazaar , Bangladesh : The Chairman Sayadaw U May Gyi Ya of the World Buddhist Religious Regency (WBRR) of Bangladesh branch organized and held a special prayer at Cox's Bazaar Tawra Monastery in Bangladesh on May 15, for the dead and missing people in cyclone Nargis which hit Burma in May 2 and 3, according to a prayer participant.
 
The special prayer was chaired by Chairman Sayadaw U May Gyi Ya.
 
The Sayadaw called on people to pray for those who lost their lives in the cyclone. The death toll which has already crossed 100,000 is expected to increase in the coming days. Cyclone Nargis has torn apart the lives of the people of Burma , destroying buildings, houses, and knocking off power lines and leaving 100,000 people homeless.
 
"Military ruled Burma needs help from foreign countries. Burma is not getting all the aid it can from western countries because of military rule. We should forget about this and think about the people in distress. If we really are human beings, then we should help the people of Burma who are in need of food and shelter," Sayadaw said.
 
The country is already under economic sanctions from the West. The devastation will have a long term impact on the impoverished economy. So, it is an uphill task for the Burmese authorities. The ruling junta has refused to issue more visas for international aid workers to enter the country. So, there is  urgent need for the State Peace and Development Council authorities to issue visas to those who want to enter Burma and provide aid to the victims of the cyclone, said Chairman Sayadaw U May Gyi Ya at the prayer ceremony.
 
More than 50 persons attended the special prayer while 15 monks participated. Others were Burmese democracy activities in exile.
 
The ceremony started at 3 pm and concluded at 5:30 pm