Coronavirus Pandemic Response Team Bangladesh, a humanitarian initiative by Saifuzzaman during Lockdown

In the end of 2019, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) which is an infectious disease first discovered were in Wuhan, China, after that it spread out worldwide, and in beginning of 2020 WHO declared this as a pandemic disease. Coronavirus first known case in Bangladesh found out on 8 March 2020, along with global economic meltdown, from that time very, bad impact happened on the major economic sectors and financial indicators of Bangladesh.

People of different ages, however, are experiencing its effects in different ways; low and middle income, homeless and slum dwellers got the hardest hit in this pandemic. In this post-lockdown economic situation many people stand up for these people by personally, jointly & by non-profit charities; whose mission is to strengthen our community by giving direct help to low-income families & homeless people. Most of the time young generation are among the most active in these global responses by providing many services to people’s door to door.

Saifuzzaman is one of them, who is a young cultural activist and IT specialist, works in a repudiated private organization comes towards to these needy people in this post-pandemic situation. Sometimes he along, sometimes with his friends, coworkers, ex-colleagues make a team for helps the needy people. He feels that this is a must duty to contribute for the community in this COVID-19 pandemic. He first steps was from beginning he opened a Facebook page & group named CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC RESPONSE TEAM - BANGLADESH which worked as a big platform for engaging all innovators, communicators, volunteers and well-wishers together. With their response He did helped around 5,000 families by distributing dry food supplies such as: rice, pulse, oil and salt in one bag which contains 1 household (4 members) food; in area of Mirpur, Pallabi, Kalachandpur, Khilkhet and Nawabganj Upazila in Dhaka. Besides this also distributes 3,000 surgical mask along with cooked food for them in different times to the rickshaw pullers. Main aim works behind these initiatives was keeping out them mostly seniors from roaming around for food & medications in this pandemic situation and stay home.

Besides these volunteer works He personally by self-finance did donation of PPE & best quality surgical mask to the front-line warriors, doctors, health workers, bankers, journalists & people who were involved in securities sector. He is also providing tools for check on physical health, support other’s mental health, data collection and monitoring, provide tools for physical activities, sports using social media. Saifuzzaman also attend, participated and get trained by different types government and international seminars, meeting and other well fares. One of the most important training participation is from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India, arranged by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). By all these social activities Saifuzzaman is keeping very important role for motivating & inspiring the today’s youth.