Those who want to stand beside Shimul’s family

Many people already have stood beside the family of Samakal journalist Abdul Hakim Shimul, who died of bullet wounds sustained during covering news.  

Shimul’s wife Nurunahar Begum already has got a job while many others wanted to bear the educational expenses of their children.

Essential Drugs Company Limited (EDCL), state-owned enterprise under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, has given Nurunahar the job of as a production staff.

Hasibur Rahman Swapan, Awami League lawmaker from Sirajganj-6 constituency, received the appointment letter on behalf of Nurunahar from EDCL office at Tejgaon in Dhaka yesterday. He will hand it over to the slain journalist’s wife on Friday.

AL Advisory Council member and health minister Mohammad Nasim has recently visited the bereaved family and assured to give Shimul’s wife a job at EDCL alongside giving Tk 1 lakh as assistant. Following the assurance she got the job on Wednesday.

Samakal Journalist Abdul Hakim Shimul sustained bullet wounds during a clash between the supporters of ousted Shahjadpur Municipality Awami League president Abdur Rahim (VP Rahim) and the party unit's Organisational Secretary and Mayor Halimul Haque Miru in Monirampur area of Sirajganj’s Shahjadpur on February 2.

Shimul succumbed to his injuries around 1:00pm on the following day while being taken to Dhaka from Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College in Bogra for better treatment.

Meanwhile, the family of the Daily Samakal stood beside their one of the valued members' family just after he died.

Sirajganj-6 former lawmaker Chayan Islam promised to give Tk 5000 every month for the educational expenses of Shimul’s two children while Sirajganj Deputy Commissioner Kamrun Nahar Siddique also gave Tk 25000 to the family and assured to bear the children’s educational costs.

While visiting the bereaved family, the DC also ordered the Shahjadpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) to supply rice and the monthly cost of food for the slain journalist’s family.

Many other people also expressed their interest to help Shimul’s family. Sirajul Islam Abed, Assistant Editor and Suhrid Samabesh chief of Samakal, is coordinating the affair. His contract number is 01911-047024.

Individuals could also communicate to Samakal’s office phone numbers – 8870179 and 8870185 for any information in this regard. Samakal took the initiative for handling the assistance fund properly. Those who will stand beside Shimul’s family their names will be published in the vernacular daily.

Shimul was the only earning person of his family. His son Sadik is reading in class six at Shahjadpur Pilot High School and daughter in nursery at a local Kindergarten. Shimul has nothing except the home on four decimals of land gifted by his grandmother. Alongside journalism, he used to cultivate lands taking those as lease.