In tune with the seasonal cycle, the cold winter wind blows with all its severity and might. Both the rich and the poor are affected and make preparations to brave the winter in their own way. This is the time of the year when the sale of warm clothes goes sky-high.
Winter is the best time for sartorial stylists, for the fashion-conscious and the spendthrift elite. It is peak time for the neon-blazed glamorous bazaars, and not only in the capital city, but throughout Bangladesh. News reports mention that local cloth markets across the country are witnessing brisk sales of winter clothes, both expensive and cheap.
It is ironic and sad that when so many among us exhibit pomp and gaiety with extravagant spending during the winter, that many of the poor are left out literally in the cold with, perhaps, only a cardboard box home on roadsides. Rural people in the north, where the country's lowest temperature is recorded, are also among the worst-affected. The piercing northern wind cuts through their skin.
The cold-related death toll has reached at least 45 so far this winter and thousands have been hospitalised with cold-related diseases up and down the country. This is a manifestation of how harsh and cruel the winter is, especially for the have-nots. Many of these deaths could have been prevented if the poor had warm clothes in time to combat the cold.
Amidst this bitterly harsh winter for the poor, which has already claimed 45 deaths so far, couldn't we, the privileged section of society, provide them some comfort? When they are left out so miserably in the cold, and often with children, shouldn't our sense of humanity be offended? We have no control over the rise or fall of the winter temperature, but we can stop it from becoming a season of misery and death for our fellow brethren.
We see some big corporations, educational institutions, charities and voluntary organisations, NGOs, or groups of big-hearted people distribute winter clothes. Such private and individual efforts are praiseworthy and save lives. However, only a fraction of the neediest, those living on the streets in the city and elsewhere in the country benefit from such efforts. A much greater response is necessary. The more people respond to this call of humanity, the better.
More importantly, what about the government's responsibility for the needy? We are yet to see any comprehensive initiatives from the government level to address the plight of the poor suffering from biting cold. Typically, politicians beseech and even embrace them during election season, soliciting their support. But when the elections are over, most of the politicians and even elected public representatives give them the cold shoulder.
No doubt, individual initiatives are commendable, crucial, and even lifesaving. But a more comprehensive and widespread approach is needed. If the government were to set up rehabilitation programmes for the homeless or open temporary shelters in cold-prone areas, the misery of cold-hit people and children could be reduced considerably. To that end, the authorities must act now, to prevent more people from freezing to death.
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