Because they too need care

As the country spends days in a near-lockdown situation to curb the spread of coronavirus, street animals are having to go hungry with everyone at home and all shops closed.

However, some people are making an extra effort to make sure the poor animals can also survive in this time of crisis.

On a quiet afternoon at Dhaka University's TSC area, a middle-aged man wearing a facemask and hand gloves was seen feeding a stray dog, who was evidently starving, having not been fed over the past few days.

"Don't move, little one. It will burn a bit. Everything will be okay," the man Rafiq Ahmed Dollar, 45, said to the dog as he rubbed some disinfectant on its back.

The rickshaw that Rafiq travelled had piles of biscuit packets, some emptied, some still full. While he cuddled and fed the dog, two more came to him, wagging their tails, in hope of some love and food for themselves. Rafiq put his hand in his side bag and brought out another packet of biscuits to feed the two new furry friends he made.

Asked, Rafiq, a businessman of a travel agency, said he only came here to feed these innocent animals as all the students of Dhaka University left their halls earlier.

"On the campus, there are many animals who have no one to take care of them. These dogs were usually taken care of by the students of DU. One student also posted on his Facebook seeking help for them after he left his dormitory recently," he said.

After the university halls closed down on March 20 amid fears of the coronavirus outbreak, Istiak Ahmed Hridoy, a student of DU, posted a status on his Facebook, seeking help to arrange food for the dogs and cats living on DU campus.

"When I thought about the poor hungry animals, I could not stop myself. I have been coming here for four consecutive days to feed them," he added.

Asked whether he was concerned about the coronavirus spread, he said that there was no proof or data about coronavirus being spread from animals. "However, I am trying to maintain adequate protection. InshahaAllah, nothing would happen."

Rafiq, who lives in the capital's Lalbagh area, said, "Whenever I walk out, I always take dry food in my bag for stray animals."

"All the dogs in Lalbagh even know me," he said with a smile on his face. 

"Yesterday [Wednesday] my mother made me swear not to do this. However, my wife is very helpful. She arranges the food for the animals," he added.

Meanwhile, Rafiq distributed 200 packets of biscuits at Mohsin Hall, Surja Sen Hall, Bijoy Ekattor Hall, Modhur Canteen and TSC premises.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Hridoy, who posted the Facebook status, said that a team led by him would look after these animals and he would soon join Rafiq to continue helping the animals on the campus. "I am not in Dhaka at the moment as I am distributing hand sanitizers in my village."