Tangail Correspondent: State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salahuddin Tuku has extended support to a visually impaired elderly man who was found abandoned and crying beside a bridge in the Boilla area of Balla Union under Tangail Sadar Upazila on Thursday evening.

The elderly man, identified as Mofiz Uddin, was reportedly rescued after the state minister was informed about the incident. He immediately instructed Tangail Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Golam Mukhtar Ashraf Uddin to take the necessary steps.

Acting on the directive, police reached the spot the same night, rescued the elderly man, and safely handed him over to the custody of his younger daughter, Rina Begum. Police have also initiated legal proceedings against those allegedly involved in abandoning him. Authorities said the victim’s granddaughter has been taken into police custody as part of the investigation.

On Friday morning, Tangail Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shahin Mia, on behalf of the state minister, provided the elderly man with Tk10,000 in immediate financial assistance along with dry food. The process to include him under the government’s old-age allowance programme has also been initiated.

Condemning the incident, Sultan Salahuddin Tuku described the abandonment of the elderly man as “inhumane and heartbreaking.”

“Parents are our greatest blessing, and there is no excuse for neglecting them. As long as necessary, I will ensure his treatment, food, shelter, and other essential support. Those responsible for abandoning him should face legal action according to the law,” the state minister said, urging society to stand beside vulnerable senior citizens.