They set out for fishing early in the morning. After fishing for throughout the day, they sell it. They then buy daily essentials and return to their floating fishing village as the sun sets. Then they cook, eat and sleep on their boats. But winter has brought immense sufferings to these boatpeople.
Prothom Alo Trust stood by these cold-affected people of the floating fishing village on Korarhat canal, connecting to the Meghna River, in Dhonia union of Bhola’s Sadar upazila. As many as 80 cold-stricken people received colorful shawls on Tuesday.
Several hundred people live on about 80 boats there. Activists of Bhola Bondhushava arrived in the floating village with the shawls on Tuesday afternoon. When a boat carrying people returned from fishing they were being greeted with shawls. Distribution of shawls continued till the evening.
Colorful shawls brought smile to the faces of the people of the fishing village. “For the first time, someone gave (me) such a beautiful shawl. My wife will be happy seeing it in the midst of the winter,” said Sanu Majhi (boatman), head of the fishing village.
Surma Begum said, “Cold wave sweeps over the fishing village. I can’t cook siting on the boat. The shawl is very beautiful. May Allah bless you a long life.”
Local union parishad (Ward-6) member Zakir Hossain was present at the shawl distribution event. He thanked Prothom Alo for helping these helpless boatpeople.
Executive director of Bhola-based NGO Integrated Community Development Society (ICDS) Murtaza Bashir, Bohla Prothom Alo Correspondent Neyamutullah, president of Bandhushava, Bhola chapter, Anwar Hossain, vice-president Yarul Alam and organising secretary Ariyan Arif were present at the shawl distribution programme.
You can also lend a hand to the cold-affected people. Assistance can be sent through bank. Account name: Prothom Alo Trust, account no.: 207-100-7115, Dhaka Bank Ltd, Karwan Bazar branch, Dhaka.