Mashrafe stands by academy coaches
|| CF Correspondent ||
The humanity of former Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has been exposed yet again when he stood by the coaches of Dhaka Metro Cricket Academy listed by Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) at the moment of crisis.
Mashrafe auctioned off his favourite 16-year-old bracelet to stand by the helpless people, who are facing enormous sufferings owing to the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
Through the auction of his bracelet, he got BDT 42 lakh from where he has given over half of the money as a gift to the BCB’s listed coaches of Dhaka Metro Cricket Academy.
Through ‘Narail Express Foundation’ built by Mashrafe, the money was handed over by Dr K M Salauddin, associate professor of Dhaka University along with Amirul Islam Iqbal, Syed Sultan Abedin and Abdullah Al Jaber of Narail Express Foundation at Dhanmondi Abahani ground on June 2.
Bangladesh Cricket Academy Coaches’ Association (BCACA) President Kazi Anwar Hossain and its General Secretary Raju Ahmed Raj were also present on the occasion.
Praising Mashrafe for his noble cause, Dr Salauddin said he is proud and grateful to be able to participate as a son of Narail.
“We teach students in class and these coaches train cricketers on the field. Cricketer Mashrafe has set a shining example of humanity by standing by the coaches, who are the teachers of the cricket field. He proved how much he holds the cricket field. Nice to be here as a child from Narail,” Salauddin said.
Mashrafe, however, decided BDT 25 lakh from the sale of the bracelet will be used for Narail and BDT 15 lakh will be spent for the welfare of the freedom fighters under the supervision of Muktijoddha Sangsad, while the rest of the money will be disbursed for the needy students of Dhaka University through the help of DAKSU, for the financial support to the cricket coaches of Dhaka city and for the development of Vidyananda Foundation and free blood donors.
There are 82-enlisted coaches in Dhaka Metro. He disbursed Tk 2.46 lakh among them and received Tk 3,000 each. Earlier, Tk one lakh was handed over through DAKSU to help the indigent students of Dhaka University.
Cricketer-turned-Member of Parliament (MP) has also provided food assistance to about 10,000 distressed people of Narail during the initial stage of the corona period.
Mashrafe set up a disinfectant chamber at the entrance of the Narail Sadar Hospital on his own initiative. Keeping in mind the safety of the doctors, he has set up the ‘Safety Chamber of Doctors’ in the same hospital.
He distributed four harvesting machines among the farmers to make their work to harvest paddy easier.
