Karim Mia was a low paid employee of a non-government organization. His duty was to warn people about the cyclone and other such natural calamities in the coastal areas. One day he started moving from one village to another riding a bicycle and shouting, “Cautionary signal number 10, please go to the shelter center.” People started laughing hearing his warning. They also teased him saying, “Karim Mia, you had better go to the shelter center and let us sleep in peace at our houses.” Karim Mia did not pay heed to them. He used to do his duty with utmost sincerity and devotion. He continued his job from dawn to dusk. Only a few people followed his advice and went to the shelter center.
At about midnight, the villagers woke up with the horrible sound of gusty wind and surging floodwater. With the twinkle of an eye, all the villagers were submerged with water, trees were uprooted and house roofs were moving with the wind. People tried to go to the shelter center then but it was too late. With the devastating destruction of the cyclone, the whole area fell into the jaws of death. Next morning, Karim Mia and his fellow NGO workers came to the villagers with some relief materials. He said that he did not want to see the dead bodies of so many people; he wanted to see them alive. The villagers embraced him and burst into tears. They termed him as their most benevolent friend. They also took the vow that they would never neglect his advice.
