RAJSHAHI, May 18, 2020 (BSS) – The 40 Bengal Regiment of Bangladesh Army has, so far, provided foodstuffs to 2,550 families as humanitarian assistance to mitigate their livelihood related hardship being caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The regiment currently working in Rajshahi district in aid to civil administration to fight against the COVID-19 disbursed the food packages in the poverty pockets of the district on various occasions side by side with other scheduled works since their operation began here.
Each of the families was given 10 kilograms of rice, two kilograms of pulse and flours each, one kilogram of sugar, onion and edible oil each on an average through maintaining social distancing and other security measures, said Lt Col Saidul Islam, Commanding Officer of the 40 Bengal Regiment.
“We have also purchased various seasonal vegetables including pointed gourd, ladies finger, bottle gourd and pumpkin directly from many of the farmers’ fields in Mohanpur, Tanore and Bagmara Upazilas at fair price,” he said.
In addition to our own consumption, the purchased green and fresh vegetables were dispensed among the jobless and other hand-to-mouth families amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Salient features of the vegetable purchasing and disbursing was to help the distressed and jobless people on one hand and to ensure fair price of the crops on the other hand, Col Saidul added.