A poor couple, evicted by the landlord for failing to pay house rent on time, has taken refuge in a Shasanghat (cremation ground) of Meherpur district as they are unable to find an alternative way.
Sirajul Islam, a resident of Juginda village in Meherpur Sadar Upazila, and his wife are living by making a thatched house with palm leaves and jute sticks at the Shasanghat next to the Cheutia river in Gangni upazila of the district. However, the upazila administration has promised to provide a house to the couple in the ongoing process.
It is known that Sirajul Islam does not have any land or any other supporting resources at all. He earned his livelihood through selling goods, ferrying different products or Bhangari (broken things) business. Lived in the rented house of a villager, it was very difficult to run a family with his small income. He could not pay the house rent on time. The landlord evicted the couple this month for non-payment of house rent.
Finding no shelter anywhere, they finally built a shelter next to the Shasanghat. They have built the hut with bamboos, palm leaves and jute sticks as nearby people have given them the things. They are living there now. This helpless couple is running a tea shop with the help of locals and fighting for two handfuls of rice every day.
Sirajul Islam said he is landless as well as physically challenged. Even then, in the urge of living, he used to collect bottles from different places and arrange for two handfuls of rice by selling them. He used to rent a house of a villager to live with his wife. They were evicted for non-payment of rent.
So, they chose the official cremation ground to live. The people living nearby have accepted the Sirajul couple as neighbours.
Locals are requesting the authorities to build a house for the Sirajul couple in this government place next to Shasanghat.
Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Kazi Najib Hasan said gradually all landless families will get concrete house along with the land of the government’s shelter project. He said Sirajul Islam will be given a house through the ongoing project if he has applied for it.
