Deputy Commissioner of Rajshahi Shamim Ahmed distributed blankets among the cold-hit, distressed and homeless people in Rajshahi Railway Station areas, surrounding slums and the rootless street dwellers in the city on Sunday midnight.
It is learnt, the cold spell has intensified in Rajshahi for a couple of days. The bone-chilling cold has turned many poor and street dwellers helpless.
Meteorological Observer of Rajshahi Latifa Helen informed the lowest day temperature recorded in Rajshahi on Monday was 10.5 degrees Celsius. Earlier on Sunday and on Saturday the temperature was 9.7 and 9.6 degree Celsius respectively.
Deputy Commissioner Shamim Ahmed visited various places in the city and wrapped blankets over the bodies of the distressed street and slum dwellers. He also talked to them and asked about their whereabouts. A 72-year-old, blind beggar Tamiz Uddin expressed his gratitude to the DC for offering him the blanket and said,' My sufferings knew no bounds due to bitter cold. No one had donated me any blanket so far but at the dead-night, I was very happy to receive a blanket donated by DC, sir. This blanket will help end my cold.'
Beggar Azim Ali (55) was lying beside the station road. He was very happy with the blanket and said,' I beg by daytime and sleep by lying beside the road at night. I failed to buy any blanket due to want of money. As a result, I had been spending the cold winter with extreme chill and trouble. The blanket donated by the DC sir would greatly benefit me.'
BSS from Cumilla adds: A total of 2,300 blankets were distributed among the helpless and cold-hit people living in Muradnagar upazila of the district Monday. The warm clothes were distributed from the own fund of Jahangir Alam Sarkar, Member of Parliament (MP) from Cumilla-3 constituency.
Jahangir Alam Sarkar, MP, handed over the blankets among the helpless and cold-hit people, at a programme held on the Muradnagar upazila parishad premise Monday afternoon.
Upazila Parishad Chairman Ahsanul Alam Kishore, Former Chairman of Upazila Parishad Abdul Qayyum Khosru, Cumilla North District Awami League Former Cultural Affairs Secretary Masukul Islam Masuk, Former President of Muradnagar Upazila Awami League FFAbdul Awal.
Chairmen Md.
Abul Kalam Azad, Zakir Hossain, Sheikh Zakir Hossain, among others, were present on the occasion.
Jahangir Alam Sarkar, MP, urged the rich people to stand by the cold affected poor people to mitigate their sufferings.