Khulna residents and transportation workers protest for food relief

Residents of ward no 21 and transportation workers of Khulna have staged separate protests demanding relief on Wednesday.

Residents of ward no 21 staged their protest in front of the Khulna Press Club while the transportation workers blocked a portion of the Khulna-Jessore highway in front of the Fultola bus-stand of the city.

The residents of ward no 21 said that their sources of income have dried up due to the Covid-19 shutdown.

Initially during the shutdown, the ward councilor of ward no 21, Samsuzzaman Miya Shapan, provided them with food relief. However, the quantity of food relief received was insufficient.

So, the residents decided to take the matter to the deputy commissioner's office but faced resistance from the ward councilor's men and were threatened.

With no alternative, they came to the streets and protested, said the residents.

However, the ward commissioner denied the matter and said, "A total 5,200 families of the ward have been assisted with food relief from the government and private sources during the first phase. Another 219 people were provided with relief in the second phase."

"Two men named Shanto and Monir are misleading people, and taking money from them illegally, in the name of providing relief," he continued.

"When we tried to stop them from doing so, they started creating such disarray. The matter will be notified to the police and I am sincerely beside the people of my ward," added Samsuzzaman.

Meanwhile, members of the transportation workers' union blocked a portion of the Khulna-Jessore highway in front of the Fultola bus-stand area from 10 am to 11 am on Wednesday demanding relief.

President of the Fultola transportation worker's union Wahid Murad Pintu, general secretary Sonjit Basu and other leaders of the union alleged that due to the Covid-19 shutdown the transportation workers of the area have been jobless for the last one-and-a-half months.

The families of these workers are living in misery.

The administration and the people's representative of the area made photocopies of their national ID cards, worker ID cards and other documentation, repeatedly, promising to provide them with relief. However, they have not received any till date.

The workers had threatened that if the government did not provide them with relief they would come down to the streets with their families and protest.

During the protest, the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Fultola upazila Parvin Sultana and police officials came to the spot and assured the workers that they will be provided with relief. Upon getting assurances from the UNO, the workers ended their protest.