A group of UK expatriates have stepped in to support a duck farmer in Rajbari after a tragic incident in Goalandaghat went viral on social media, drawing widespread sympathy and concern.
The incident took place on 6 April in Goaland upazila, where farmer Shamsu Molla lost more than 300 Campbell breed ducks after a nearby pond was allegedly poisoned.
Local residents said poison was applied to the pond to kill fish, but the contamination spread beyond the intended target and affected the surrounding water. Hundreds of ducks that depended on the pond area died suddenly, leaving the farmer devastated.
The loss pushed Shamsu Molla into severe financial hardship as the duck farm was his main source of income, locals said.
A local social worker later recorded a video of the grieving farmer and the destroyed farm. The footage spread widely on social media and drew attention from people at home and abroad.
Among those moved by the video were UK expatriate Romel and his wife Elina. After learning about the farmer’s condition, the couple decided to provide immediate support.
As Romel is currently living in the United Kingdom, he coordinated the assistance remotely and asked his father in Dhaka to locate the farmer and deliver the aid on behalf of the family.
On 8 May, members of Romel’s family and their friends visited Shamsu Molla’s home in Goalandaghat and handed over Tk1.5 lakh in financial assistance. The support came from Romel, Elina and their relatives and friends living in the UK.
The assistance brought relief to the farmer, who said the money would help him recover from the losses and restart the farm.
Shamsu Molla also said he plans to build a safer and more permanent duck shed to reduce the risk of similar incidents in the future and continue farming in a more sustainable way.
