News Flash
By Md Mamun Islam
RANGPUR, March 3, 2025 (BSS) - Like in previous years, cricketer Arifa Jahan Bithi, 27, an acclaimed female volunteer, has taken an initiative to distribute packed Iftar items to 6,000 fasting poor, orphans, distressed and helpless people across the district this time.
Bithi, founding president of Women's Dreamer Cricket Academy (WDCA) Rangpur and Humanity Foundation, has gained wide recognition for conducting multi-dimensional social welfare activities and standing by the distressed humanity since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Explaining the reason for standing by the helpless fasting people during this holy month of Ramadan, Bithi said the condition of the lower, middle and working class people of the society is disappointing due to the increase in the prices of daily necessities.
At the same time, the prices of Iftar items are increasing. In such a situation, the helpless, distressed, unemployed, workers and daily wage
earners, including the middle class people, are in trouble.
"Those who do not work even a day are the ones who are most in trouble. To stand by these people, I have taken up humanitarian activities like providing Iftar items and food assistance to these people," said Bithi.
On the first day of Ramadan, she organised an Iftar mahfil and distributed Iftars to 200 fasting people, including unemployed, helpless, orphans and elderly parents, in the Station Pathbari area of Ward No. 26 of Rangpur city.
Bithi said, "Each packet of Iftar items costs Taka 80. Each day, there will be different items in the packet, including polao, chicken, jilapi, boot
bhuna, dates, cucumber, carrot, watermelon, etcetera. The cost for 200 fasting people will be Taka 16,000 per day."
"I will provide a total of 6,000 Iftar packets in 30 days at the cost of Taka 4,80,000 in this Ramadan," said Bithi, adding that she will start
distributing food aid from next week.
She said, "I am trying to be by the side of orphans, needy, and helpless people out of social responsibility. With that aspiration in my mind, I have undertaken the programme of providing Iftar to fasting people," she said.
Meanwhile, Bithi has announced her unique initiative on the social media Facebook on Sunday, where she received a huge response from people. As always, many people have extended their hands to support her initiative too.
She has written in the post, "Alhamdulillah, in the first Ramadan, more than 200 orphans and elderly parents were given Iftar. Allah is the owner of everything. I and these people are eternally grateful to those of you who are help to me in this work."
Arifa Jahan Bithi played in Dhaka Premier League First Division cricket from 2010 to 2017.
She used to open batting for the Orient Sporting Club, Kolabagan, Rayer Bazar Cricket teams in Dhaka. In 2017, she had to leave her cricket career on the advice of a doctor due to illness.
After returning to Rangpur from Dhaka, Bithi officially established the WDCA, a training academy for women cricketers, at Rangpur Stadium on October 26, 2019.
She is providing free cricket training to hundreds of women there.
At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Bithi asked for help from everyone on Facebook to serve pregnant women.
Cricketers Tamim Iqbal, Rubel Hossain and many others responded to her call and stood by her side.
During the Covid-19 epidemic, she delivered necessary nutritious food including rice, pulses, oil, salt, fruits, milk, eggs and Horlicks to the
doorsteps of thousands of people with her own initiatives and financial support from others.
Since then, Bithi has been involved in social activities and providing service support to helpless, distressed, unemployed, homeless people,
pregnant women and poor students.
Already, more than 100 women have become self-reliant through self-employment and income generating activities with her help and many homeless elderly parents have found new homes.
Bithi has provided financial assistance to helpless students for admission to schools and colleges.
She has extended a helping hand in natural disasters at various times.
Not only that, Bithi has been constructing mosques and madrasas in Rangpur division and distributing the Holy Quran among the madrasa students.
