Poor people cry for warm clothes
A bone-chilling cold wave coupled with dense fog for the last three days has disrupted life in the district.
Many people, especially children and aged ones, are getting different cold-related diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia.
The low-income people, especially the farm labourers, are the worst sufferers as most of them cannot go out for work due to the adverse weather.
Around two lakh cold-hit people in the district are passing days in extreme misery without warm clothes. The people living in the char (landmass emerged from riverbed) areas beside Teesta and Dharla rivers are more vulnerable.
Our correspondent quoting family sources said two poor people died due to severe cold in Kaliganj and Aditmari upazilas yesterday and the day before.
The deceased were identified as Mohibur Rahman, 66, of Char Shoalmari village of Kaliganj upazila and Asma Bewa, 62, of Palashbari village in Aditmari upazila. Mohibur died on Saturday night while Asma yesterday morning.
“Poor people don't have the ability to purchase warm clothes. As they can't go out for work due to the fog and biting cold, they have to pass days half-starved,†said Idris Ali, Kulaghat UP chairman in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.
The UP chairman said he received only 42 pieces of warm clothes from the deputy commissioner's office to distribute among the cold-hit people in his union. “I need around 5,000 pieces of warm clothes for the affected people of my union,†he added.
Contacted, District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Anwarul Islam said they received only 2300 pieces of warm clothes from the ministry concerned.
“We have already distributed the warm clothes among the chairmen of 45 union parishads and two municipalities and sought 30,000 more blankets for the cold-hit poor people of the district.†he said
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Army yesterday distributed warm clothes among the poor people on the premise of Harati Union Parishad office in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.
A daylong free medical camp, set up at the venue, also provided treatment and vaccine to domestic animals and birds.
Commanding Officer of Lalmonirhat Military Farm Lieutenant Colonel Nazir Ahmad distributed warm clothes among the cold-hit poor people. Major ANM Ashraful Alam Mondol, Major AM Ekhlasur Rahman, Captain Shamim Al Mamun, and Livestock officials were present.
Comments