There is a steel structure by the road in Noagaon of Sylhet city, called ‘Manobatar Ghar', meaning ‘Home of Humanity’. There are eight small rooms in one part of this structure, stocked with daily essentials like rice, pulses, oil, salt and onions. The other part is filled with clothes. Poor and unprivileged people are being provided with free foods and clothes from here.
The National Press Society, an organisation of media persons and human rights activists in Sylhet, has opened this house to help the vulnerable and poor people of the area amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country. This home of humanity has been set up in front of the Sadipur Haji Majhi Jama Masjid at Borhan Uddin Mazar Road in the city.
According to the members of the organisation, this initiative is the first of its kind in the country to provide food and clothing to the poor and helpless people. In the 'lockdown' situation, people are forced to stay home to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection. The day labourers and poor people are distressed as they have means of income in this situation.
The organisers said, they made one such arrangement initially and have been planning to set up more such ventures in 26 wards of the city. Any individual or organisation can donate essential food items or clothing to this initiative. Anyone can contact the organisers before making a donation, too.
On Wednesday afternoon, this Prothom Alo correspondent visited Noagaon area. There were signboards hanging on the steel structure, reading 'Only for the poor', ‘Love the poor, feed the hungry’. Some unprivileged people came up to collect food. One of them, Ramzan Ali, said he used to ply a cycle van.
He had no work since the morning and returned empty handed in the afternoon. He came to collect some food from the Manobatar Ghar on the way home, he added.
Sylhet unit general secretary of the organisation Aminul Islam said it was a pilot programme.
“We have been planning to set up such homes in other wards too. We will install a closed circuit camera to monitor the house. For the time being, a local trader is monitoring it,” he added.
Sylhet unit president Md. Zumman said, "This initiative was the first one of its likes launched in Sylhet in the country. We want everyone to help make it successful. Such an initiative will be successful if everyone cooperates. Besides, everyone needs to be aware of coronavirus. "