Samiul thankful to Tamim

Tamim Iqbal, captain of the Bangladesh one-day cricket team, has taken the responsibility of providing expenditure to the family members of the fastest teenage sprinter Samiul Islam amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has left many people in the country struggling for food and other basic necessities.

On the first day of the Bengali New Year, Tamim called up the 20-year-old sprinter-cum-footballer after The Daily Star on Tuesday carried a story on Samiul, who, along with his parents and three siblings, have been going through a hard time due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has kept him away from earning his livelihood by playing football.

Samiul is also a temporary employee of BJMC from where he used to earn Tk1850 per week, but the BJMC also terminated its temporary employees, putting Samiul's family into hardship. Samiul's family is in such a desperate situation that they have been taking meals on alternative days.     

"It is hard to find a friend in trouble but I have found Tamim bhai as a friend in my trouble. He has provided us the money we need to run our six-member family for the next one month," Samiul said over phone from Khulna yesterday.

"We are a bit relieved after the financial support. This help is heartwarming. I really feel proud that the captain of Bangladesh cricket team came forward to help another athlete. I can't really express the emotions inside me," Samiul said, adding that Tamim also asked him to keep in touch in case he needs any other help.