Bangladesh, a South Asian densely populated country with the number of 160 million is seriously affected by global climate change. Amidst multi-faceted impacts of climate change on Bangladesh, the change in season circle is one of those which result in untimely chilly cold, whereby almost every year the people living in the north and south are bitterly hit. Last consecutive two years elderly and children in the north died due to so cold which they were not used to, meaning the intensity of cold is higher than the cold people are known to for years. Last year the temperature went down below 2 degree Celsius in one point in the country which is the record of the history in memory. The temperature in the places where people started to die, went to below 6 degree Celsius. The year before 8 people in the northern part of Bangladesh died as they were not prepared with the sufficient warm cloths which they need to cope with such a chilly cold.

Normally Bangladesh faces cold in the winter season. People know when it starts and ends. However, nowadays it is difficult to guess as there is indiscipline in season’s circle. Sometimes, the winter starts earlier and sometimes late. This year it started earlier with tolerable cold spell but last three days it has gone beyond tolerance. It has given rise to the concern of poor people, especially female and children who cannot afford adequate warm cloths. Today the whole country was covered with foggy weather event which is unusual. The low temperature rate was 10 degree Celsius. Great concern is expressed from different quarters through press media that the temperature would go down and poor people would face irregularities and causalities in their daily lives.

Bangladesh Krishok Federation, Bangladesh Kishani Sabha and Bangladesh Adivasi Samity, three closely associate popular organizations are seriously concerned with lives and livelihoods of the people who are their members living in fringe areas of the country. In particular, they have the members, who live in occupied railway abandoned land in Kurigram district in the north, in occupied 22 islands in Patuakhali, Bhola and Barisal district in the south, in 9 Shrimp cultivation centers in Satkhira district in south western part of the country. All they are more than 100,000 landless men and women living individually on piece of land allocated through a long struggle at different times.

In such a chilly weather event the organizations felt duty-bound to do something for the members who will encounter imminent causalities. These organizations decided to stand by the poor members who have achieved their land right through a long systematic struggle at various points in the country. It is estimated that at least one good blanket can save and give comfort to one life. So it is necessary to organize just one blanket which they need to use the whole winter season, perhaps up to mid-March. The organizations decided to give away the blankets among one thousand victims primary. They checked the price of one blanket which costs BDT 550/-. For one 1000 people it will stand at 550,000/-. In Euro: 5500 (Five Thousand Five Hundred Only).

We made appeal to the sympathizers and friends at international level to come up for helping the severe cold affected people with one blanket to save their lives and to build protection from possible cold borne diseases. They would be grateful to those who stand by them in such a crucial time.

ASM Badrul Alam
President
Bangladesh Krishok Federation

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