Aftaba Begum is a widow in her sixties. Both of her sons are disabled. She supports her family by working as a domestic help in others’ houses. She cried out of joy after receiving a packet of relief, distributed under the management of Prothom Alo trust with the assistance of IDLC Finance Limited.
Flood-affected Aftaba said, “There is no food in the house, I feel happy to get the relief.” The relief was handed out at the Safir Uddin High School and College ground in Sylhet Sadar.
Just like Aftaba, a resident of Paschim Darsha village under Sylhet Sadar upazila, 68 flood-affected people of the upazila received relief on Saturday. Each of the relief-packet contained 10 kg of rice, a litre of soybean oil, 1 kg of lentil, a kg of chickpea, 1 kg of salt, 100 grams of chilli powder and 100 grams of turmeric powder.
After getting the relief Aftaba said, “There’s no money to fix (repair) the house. There’s no food. We are going through much hardship.”
Md Abdur Rashid, principal of Safir Uddin High School and College and Humayun Kabir, a theatre organiser in Sylhet spoke in a brief discussion session during the distribution of relief. The session was moderated by Suman Kumar Dash, staff correspondent at Sylhet office of Prothom Alo.
Md Abdur Rashid thanked Prothom Alo and IDLC for coming forward to help the flood-affected people. He said, “Prothom Alo does not publish news only, they spread message of hope as well. As a part of their social responsibility, they play a vital role in creating awareness against social crisis.
“In fact, the main goal of their relief activities carried out with the support IDLC, is to spread the message among distressed people that we stand by the flood-affected people in their struggle. Along with the readers of Prothom Alo scattered across the world, all the Bangla-speaking people are there for them. Let the battle against disaster or crisis continue,” he added.
Among others, local elders Asab Uddin and Shahjahan Bulbul, publisher Razib Chowdhury, lecturer Afzal Hossain, teacher Santosh Kumar Sarker, artiste Haider Rubel, Prothom Alo Bondhushava president in Sylhet Humaira Zakia and organising secretary Mihrab Ahmed Chowdhury were present during the relief distribution.
You too can come forward to help flood-affected people. Cash aid can be transferred through banks and Bkash. Name of the account where fund can be transferred is Prothom Alo Trust/Tran Tohobil and the account number is 20720011194, Dhaka Bank Limited, Karwan Bazar Branch, Dhaka. Or, you can pay with Bkash, on this merchant account number, 01713067576.