‘Strict lockdown’: Mymensingh police subsidising iftar packets for sale to low-income people

Mymensingh police has started selling subsidised iftar packets among low-income people at Tk 5 each during the ongoing countrywide "strict lockdown".

Mohammad Ahmar Uzzaman, superintendent of Mymensingh Police, inaugurated the programme at Mymensingh city's Town Hall premises yesterday afternoon, reports our local correspondent.

Iftar packets will be distributed among 200-250 people every day during the month of Ramadan, the SP said while speaking on the occasion.

He said the policemen will bear the expenses for serving iftar items from their salaries.

Since the "lockdown" started, daily bread earners -- especially rickshaw- and van-pullers and day labourers -- have fallen into serious financial crisis and it is beyond the capability of many to afford iftar, said the police official.

He said the packet of iftar items -- which includes fried rice, grapes, banana, jilapi and other spicy items -- costs Tk 62, but the beneficiaries can buy it for Tk 5.

The iftar packets will be distributed at different spots of the city daily, said the SP.

Mymensingh's Additional Police Superintendents Md Shahjahan Miah, Joyeta Shilpi, Md Fazle Rabbi, Traffic Inspector (Administration) Syed Mahbubur Rahman, Officer-in-charge of Kotwali Model Police Station Md Firoz Talukder, and OC of detective branch (DB) of police Shah Kamal Akanda, among others, were present during the ceremony.