PM Hasina takes responsibility of rickshaw-van puller Shompa’s family

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has come to the aid of Shompa, a fourth-grader of Jamalpur district who was forced to pull a rickshaw-van to support her family.

The prime minister also took the responsibility of ensuring the treatment of Shompa’s father.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Enamul Haque confirmed the matter on Wednesday after meeting with the child’s family.

A resident of Nakati village under Jamalpur Sadar upazila, Shompa started pulling a rickshaw-van to meet the needs of her family after her father, a rickshaw-van puller by profession, got seriously injured in a road accident about a year ago.

Shompa's mother also chipped in with the money she earned by selling vegetables; the family barely managed to get by.

As soon as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina learnt about the predicament Shompa and her family were in, she came to their rescue. The prime minister took responsibility for Shompa's education, welfare of the family, and the treatment of Shompa’s ailing father.

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Following the prime minister’s directive, DC Enamul met with the family on Wednesday morning.

Shompa’s ailing father Shafiqul Islam Bhashani being taken to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation in Dhaka for treatment on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 | Dhaka Tribune

He said: “The prime minister has taken responsibility for the treatment of the ailing father of the child, the upkeep of the family, the construction of a house for them, and the child’s education.”

Work has already started to build a house for the needy family. Shompa’s father Shafiqul Islam Bhashani was sent to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation in Dhaka for treatment, the DC added.

This is not the first time that the prime minister came forward to help people in need.

Last month, the prime minister came to the aid of Dil Afroze Khuki, a 60-year-old woman, who had been selling newspapers in Rajshahi for the last 30 years.

In August, a Sherpur beggar, who was praised for donating his savings to the people affected by Covid-19, drew the attention of Sheikh Hasina. She later gifted him a modern house for his selfless gesture.