Help arrives for fire victims
Victims of Thursday's fire in the city's Battala slum in Katasur area of Mohammadpur queue up for clothing and food donated by Dhaka Metropolitan Police and the local Awami League unit respectively at the adjacent Chan Mia Housing yesterday. Photo: Rashed Shumon
The government and different organisations have come together to provide food and temporary shelter for the victims of Thursday's fire in the city's Battala slum in Katasur area of Mohammadpur that burned down around 566 shanties. The devastating fire left over 2000 people of 640 low-income families homeless, says Dhaka District Deputy Commissioner Muhibul Haque. The locals were seen going around in groups to collect donations from Katasur and other residential areas for the victims. “We collected clothes and dry food from apartments. Traders are donating money. Even people from others areas are coming here with food or offering voluntary service,” said Zakir Hossain Swapan, a volunteer coming from Dhanmondi. Dhaka District Administration is providing 20 kilogrammes of rice, a blanket and Tk 3,000 to each family through a list prepared from information provided by the shanty owners. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) also came forward to distribute sharees and lungis yesterday. DMP Commissioner Benazir Ahmed, after a visit there, said DMP would provide victims with free healthcare treatment today. Local lawmaker and State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak provided temporary accommodation for the victims at an under-construction building at Kaderia Housing on Thursday night. Local units of BNP also distributed food and clothes. Members of Khelaghar Aashor, a children's organisation, distributed clothes, plates and glasses among the victim children. Despite the efforts, some victims alleged that they were neither served food nor enrolled in the victims' list. Some children and women were seen foraging for saleable metals and tins on the spot.
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