PMO’s humanitarian initiative for an elderly rickshaw puller

Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has taken a humanitarian initiative for elderly rickshaw puller Habibur Rahman to ensure an abode and provide an auto-rickshaw to him.

The PMO took the initiative as a recent Facebook post of senior journalist Z E Mamun about Habibur Rahman drew the attention of Prime Minister's Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah.

The principal secretary asked the authorities of Ashrayan Project to build a room for Habibur Rahman at his village home in Gouripur in Mymensingh, reports BSS.

On April 25 last, journalist Mamun in a Facebook post wrote details about the miserable life of Habibur Rahman aged 77.

Habibur Rahman said his village home is at Sonakandi village under Gauripur upazila in Mymansingh. After the death of his father, he came to Dhaka in 1969 at the age of 22 to drive a rickshaw. He is still driving a rickshaw. He has four daughters but no son.

He married off his four daughters. Economic condition of the families of her daughters is also very poor so that they cannot give any support to his father. As Habibur Rahman's condition is poor his wife also left him and now residing in Barishal at her father's village home.

Poor Habibur has to pull a rickshaw in Dhaka to earn his bread. His physical condition is also very bad as he suffered brain stroke twice. He can't talk properly due to weak physical condition. During night, he uses to sleep on street at Dhanmondi road number 7 in the capital.

 "I am now in Gouripur. The ministry (PMO) has ensured me of building a room for me at my village home. I demanded an auto (battery-run three wheeler) from them to earn my wage. They also ensured me of giving an auto. My life will change if I get the room and auto," Habibur Rahman said on Monday.