Bagerhat, Dec 09 (V7N) – In Kodamara village of Bishnupur Union, Bagerhat, an elderly couple is living under extreme hardship in a fragile makeshift shelter. Gokul Sardar, 78, and his 60-year-old wife, Laxmi Rani Sardar, reside in a small hut made of torn plastic sheets, with fences constructed from hogla and coconut leaves. Half of the structure is collapsing, leaving them exposed to rain, wind, and cold.

Despite their advancing age and frail health, the couple struggles daily for survival, relying on occasional day labor or work at neighbors’ homes to secure two meals a day. Nights are often spent battling hunger, and the shelter offers little protection against the elements. The plastic roof flaps in the wind, rain leaks inside, and morning dew soaks their bedding and clothes, while emotional scars remain unhealed.

Laxmi Rani, speaking tearfully, said, “There is no one as helpless as us around here. During the rainy season, we couldn’t sleep all night. Everything we own got wet. We survived the nights eating whatever little we could with the plastic sheets covering us. We have sought help from the chairman and members many times but received nothing but promises. With the broken fence, the cold air comes in, and the dew wets our bedding. My husband works, but what we earn is barely enough to survive. At our age, all we want is a place to rest our heads.”

Gokul Sardar added, “We are extremely helpless but have never begged from anyone. We survive on day labor, sometimes going hungry. During previous governments, we were promised a proper house, but despite repeated visits to the chairman, members, and TNO office, we have received nothing. Even though we are eligible, we were never provided a proper shelter.”

Local residents have expressed anger at the lack of government support during the current Awami League administration. Neighbors, including Sagar Das, Jalal Sheikh, and Sekendar, said that while many officials visited the area, no one addressed the couple’s plight. They emphasized that the fragile hut could collapse at any moment, endangering the couple’s lives, and appealed to the government and philanthropists to provide them with a safe and durable home.

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