THE entire country is now reeling under severe cold in peak winter with mercury nose-diving in most regions, particularly in the northern districts. The worst sufferers are the poor and homeless who are mercilessly exposed to cold in the capital and elsewhere trying to keep up warm making fire on roadsides late into the night and at city slums. It is time we must say they need warm clothes and other assistance to protect them in shivering cold.
As it appears people with shanty homes and the homeless will have terrible time in the next two months. Children and elderly people have already started suffering from cold-related diseases like pneumonia and asthma in different districts. Many in the northern districts are not going out for day’s work in chilly weather. In our view the concerned government agencies, private organizations and charitable bodies should not waste time to stand by the poor and the needy.
These people invariably need winter clothes like blankets, jacket, sweaters and tents at many places. We know this is a time when banks and many voluntary organizations go out for distribution of warm clothes, which in many cases look like a demonstrative case although we don’t demean their honest desire to social work. In fact our entire development process is now based on a demonstrative model to claim tall success in every sphere of national life. But poor are remaining poor. Much of the benefits of development are not reaching them and the return of winter every time remind us how the poor have been left behind while development is concentrating in the higher end of the society.
It appears that the lowest temperature of 5.0 degrees Celsius was recorded at Tetulia in Panchagarh and Rajarhat in Kurigram on Saturday. The highest was recorded at 11.8 degrees in the capital and at Sylhet region. Srimangal however recorded single digit temperature where situation may turn further worse soon.
We know that the government’s godowns have enough stock to distribute to the poor using public and private distribution channels. There is no reason why the helpless to suffer unless corrupt officials and greedy party men controlling the distribution system make intervention to misuse the resources. In our view life of the poor depending on things like relief during flood and warm clothes in winter is not a solution to make their life better. Poverty must be alleviated in a way that they can have a home and sustainable income to survive through such terrible time.
Meanwhile dense fog is affecting movement of passengers’ buses, launches, trains and planes, particularly making night-time journey risky. Poor visibility may particularly prove fatal in the highways and riverways. We would suggest it is time for utmost cautions at all levels to make life safe through fogy roads and highways and riverways through the winter days.
As it appears people with shanty homes and the homeless will have terrible time in the next two months. Children and elderly people have already started suffering from cold-related diseases like pneumonia and asthma in different districts. Many in the northern districts are not going out for day’s work in chilly weather. In our view the concerned government agencies, private organizations and charitable bodies should not waste time to stand by the poor and the needy.
These people invariably need winter clothes like blankets, jacket, sweaters and tents at many places. We know this is a time when banks and many voluntary organizations go out for distribution of warm clothes, which in many cases look like a demonstrative case although we don’t demean their honest desire to social work. In fact our entire development process is now based on a demonstrative model to claim tall success in every sphere of national life. But poor are remaining poor. Much of the benefits of development are not reaching them and the return of winter every time remind us how the poor have been left behind while development is concentrating in the higher end of the society.
It appears that the lowest temperature of 5.0 degrees Celsius was recorded at Tetulia in Panchagarh and Rajarhat in Kurigram on Saturday. The highest was recorded at 11.8 degrees in the capital and at Sylhet region. Srimangal however recorded single digit temperature where situation may turn further worse soon.
We know that the government’s godowns have enough stock to distribute to the poor using public and private distribution channels. There is no reason why the helpless to suffer unless corrupt officials and greedy party men controlling the distribution system make intervention to misuse the resources. In our view life of the poor depending on things like relief during flood and warm clothes in winter is not a solution to make their life better. Poverty must be alleviated in a way that they can have a home and sustainable income to survive through such terrible time.
Meanwhile dense fog is affecting movement of passengers’ buses, launches, trains and planes, particularly making night-time journey risky. Poor visibility may particularly prove fatal in the highways and riverways. We would suggest it is time for utmost cautions at all levels to make life safe through fogy roads and highways and riverways through the winter days.
