Appeal To Assist A Visiting Couple To Sydney
Media Release
We all join with people of Australia to express our profound sadness with the loss of life in Queensland and hope that Queenslander can rebuild their life with the same courage they have faced the ravaging floods. My contacts in Brisbane, Emerald, Rockhampton, Blackwater, St George are safe (currently there is limited or no contact with Brisbane due to electricity being shut off).
I am writing to let you know how a dream which did come true and then became a nightmare for a visiting couple from Bangladesh. Salahuddin Razzaq Rana and Dahlia Ahmed have dreamt for years to come and visit Sydney and specially watch the live fire works on the new years eve at Sydney Harbour. They were so happy when they arrived on 25 December 2010 and were basking under the sun and making most of their time on their brief visit to Sydney. And suddenly this happened and all the joy and happiness vanished, shattering their dreams and bringing untold misery.
On 29 December Salahuddin complained of abdominal pain, but in the early hours of 30 December 2010 his condition become from bad to worse. Salahuddin was immediately taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and admitted in the emergency ward, on 2 January 2011 when we were resting after the celebration of New Year, Dhalia received a call from PoW Hospital at 2.00am requesting her to immediately come to the hospital, on arrival she was informed that her husband condition has detoriated further and he being transferred to the ICU and being put on ventilator due to inflammation of pancreatic.
Salahuddin has just responded to the treatment and opened his eyes but cannot talk. All this events has drained Dhalia her energy and resources, she is now staying with her nephew who himself is a new migrant and just trying to settle. Dhalia works for Bangladesh Biman, Ground Training School. A contact was made in Sydney through Biman requesting to assist Dhalia. A similar contact has been made in Melbourne which has been referred to Sydney. The generosity and magnamity of community is well known. Meanwhile, you will be happy to know some eminent Bangladeshi Doctors has extended their help and have pledged to monitor Salahuddin situation (medical condition cannot be disclosed due to privacy reason).
(Do we have a Bangladeshi Doctor in PoW Hospital? Send me a mail with name and a contact number to nasims21@hotmail.com)
I feel that seeking donation is never a good idea with the encouragement of our community we have drawn a plan to see how much we can help Dhalia. I am detailing the plan;
We are thinking for holding a concert end of January or first week of February 2011.
Please note that Dhalia is not seeking donation from the community, she is a regular on Bangladesh TV reciting poems and has a DVD/CD of one hour of her recitation, she is ready recite for us and if we can buy her DVD/CD and pay generously will be much help to her.
As we would need a venue, we approached Councillor Prabir Moitra who has been kindly consented to approach the Lord Mayor of Parramatta City Council to allocate the Bangladesh Community the use the Parramatta Town Hall free of charge. Clr Prabir is working on that and hope to get a result soon.
We will approach some well established artist, kids from Bangla School to perform free of charge and we are seeking some sponsorship.
All money collected from the sale of tickets and DVD/CD will go to Dhalia so she can care for her husband and not have to despair that she has been on the lurch when the Bangladesh community in Sydney is well known for being helpful.
I can mention proudly that the community is coming together and the responses are positive.
This is an open appeal to the whole of the community. As the Community response is more important rather individual effort.
Sincerely
Nasim Samad
Mob: 0433 79 59 68
