Bondhu trying to restore the decayed humanity -The Asian Age

Blood is considered as the most important fuel of any living being and there is a well known saying ,"To give blood you need neither extra strength nor extra food,and you will save a life."

According to a compiled reports from Blood Transfusion Service (BTS), under public and private sectors, revealed that annual demand for blood in Bangladesh is around eight lakh units where seven lakh units were collected  against the estimated demand. The shortage is filled by professional donors who mostly contribute to unsafe blood transfusions.

A Safe Blood Transfusion Programme (SBTP) official has been reported to have informed that only about 30 percent blood now comes from voluntary donation. But it is a matter of happiness that in our society, a good deal of voluntary blood donation organization are now working actively for increasing  blood donation. 'Bondhu', a voluntary blood donors' organization of Comilla University (CoU) is such kind of organization.

A group of health conscious students of Comilla university (CoU), formed this organization on November 2015 with the slogan, "Jodi shecchay kori roktodan, bachbe jibon bachbe pran (Donate Blood, Save Life)" which work for increasing  voluntary blood donation for helpless, poor and underprivileged people of the society as well as the country   .

They are working as real friends for the society with a hope of restoring the decayed humanity. Their donated blood helps people who have lost blood in an accident or who have an illness such as cancer , anemia , sickle cell disease, hemophilia , diagnosed with thalassaemia disease  and for emergency patients .

Blood donation is a life-saving service to our fellow human beings. Bondhu, a political, communal, regional, and racial affiliation free organization particularly motivates the graduate and postgraduate students to donate blood voluntarily as a part of social responsibility. The key activities of Bondhu are to - motivate students and young generation of Bangladesh, provide free blood group test, donate blood voluntarily for the patients, organize awareness program regarding blood related matters. 

The organization arranged camping event several times on the campus area for collecting blood sample. After starting the journey of Bondhu , students of CoU campus and surrounding areas people  are now aware of the importance of blood donation and the number of people getting interested in voluntary blood donation is on the rise here. Every month the members donate approximately 150-200 bags of blood.

Bondhu, in collaboration with UGC hosted a seminar titled "Rising Public Awareness and Promoting Thalassemia Screeming in Bangladesh" on April 05, 2018 at CoU. They also celebrate World Blood Donor's day every year with the promise of promoting blood donation.

Expressing gratitude to the members and well wishers of the organisation for their hearty co-operation, Masud Parvez, president of Bondhu says, "The only alternative of blood is blood itself; no one can measure it on the scale of money.Our blood cells die after 3 months and then be born new blood cells.

If we can motivate people to donate blood, it will save many lives. Bondhu wants to make blood donation as a social movement and it's ultimate goals are none should die from lack of blood, every person knows his/her blood group. For these reason, every year we are arranging campaign  on the campus area . In future, we will arrage seminar on antibiotic resistance and some other fatal diseases such as AIDS , Diarrhoea,  Abortion, child Maternity."

The organization is creating social awareness through blood grouping camp, leaflets and handouts are being distributed during the campaign on the benefits of blood donation among the students. "Blood donation not only makes the receiver's life good but also helps the donor to maintain good health and to be jovial and engaging, according to medical science. Let's donate blood and feel the thrill of life" , opined general secretary of Bondhu.

A Bondhu (friend) is he/she with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, a trustworthy person who supports by giving financial or other help.'Bondhu' is working as real friends for the society with a hope of restoring the decayed humanity. Over and above to say, the 'Bondhu' is the real friends in need, hope of ray in the dark, vaccine for the epidemics and savior of the mankind.


Amdadul H Sarker is a student of English Department, Comilla University.

---Amdadul H Sarker