Mass rush at TSC as relief efforts continue for third day

Students of Dhaka University collected mass relief at the Teacher-Student Center (TSC) for the third consecutive day on Saturday to support flood-hit individuals. A massive rush was observed on the day as people gathered at the TSC of the university to deliver relief supplies.

During a visit to the TSC area, numerous people were seen bringing relief materials in private cars, trucks, CNGs, rickshaws, or by hand. Food, clothes, medicines, and other essential items were brought for the flood victims using various modes of transport.

Approximately 50 trucks were required to transport the relief materials provided by people from various backgrounds and professions. Hundreds of student volunteers worked tirelessly to collect the vast amount of relief supplies, sometimes struggling to unload the relief fleets. While cash and dry food were brought, the volunteers mentioned that water, dates, and tissues were in short supply. They also mentioned the need for more volunteers to manage the relief collection activities effectively.

Izaz, a student in class six, arrived at TSC with his parents. He was seen carrying a heavy sack on his head around 1 am, alongside his father. His father mentioned that their family had come to Dhaka University, leaving their 11-month-old child at home in Rayer Bazar. Izaz’s father, Al Imran, a bank official and former student of the university’s finance department, shared, "I want to teach my son to work for people from an early age."

Like Izaz, people from all walks of life participated in the mass relief collection. On the second day of the program, which was Friday, the anti-discrimination student movement raised over Tk 14.25 million [Tk 1 crore 42 lakh 50 thousand 196]. Abu Baker Majumder, a coordinator of the movement, reported this figure. However, the students did not announce the amount collected on Saturday.

The mass relief collection programme began on Thursday, with a booth set up at the main gate of TSC. Students, after gathering in the cafeteria and working hard throughout the day, also participated in packaging the relief materials at night. On the first day, the programme collected over Tk 2.9 million [Tk 29 lakh 76 thousand 173], with donations including bottled water, food saline, puffed rice, biscuits, and dates.

Additionally, a concert titled ‘Joruri Songjog’ was organised at the foot of the Raju Sculpture on Friday at TSC to crowd-fund for the flood victims. The event, organised by leaders and activists of left-leaning student organisations, ran from noon to midnight.

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