A cat stuck on a beam under the Dhaka Elevated Expressway has been rescued. It was brought down safely at about 5:30am on Sunday (2 March). Before that, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) had tried from Saturday evening until 10pm to rescue it safely, including by placing food in a trap (cage) on the beam.

After learning from Facebook that the cat was stuck, four volunteers led by Ariz ul Mulk joined the rescue at night. After attempts from the evening with the help of two DNCC ladders, volunteer Ariz ul Mulk brought a special kind of cage (trap) at 10pm to catch the cat. DNCC administrator Mohammad Ejaz visited the scene of the rescue.

When DNCC staff contacted the volunteers, they said the cat was given first aid at a clinic in Baridhara after the rescue. A volunteer from Mohammadpur has taken it home to look after it, and the cat is now fully well.

On Saturday afternoon, a city resident saw the cat stuck on a beam under the Dhaka Elevated Expressway just above the Mohakhali flyover and informed DNCC administrator Mohammad Ejaz. He then told the officials in charge to take the necessary steps to rescue it.

A ladder machine was raised onto an extended part of a beam under the expressway above the Mohakhali flyover, and two city corporation workers went up it to try to rescue the cat.

But the cat was seen moving away in fear. Another ladder was also tried. When the frightened cat took up position at the edge of the beam, the ladder was brought down at 10pm. A trap (cage) was then set with food in it. At 5:30am volunteer Ariz ul Mulk found the cat inside the cage and was able to rescue it safely.

After learning of the volunteers' role, the DNCC administrator met Ariz ul Mulk, who led the rescue, and his associate Akash Ahmed at his office in the Gulshan Nagar Bhaban in the afternoon. He praised them highly and thanked them for rescuing the cat.

Ariz ul Mulk said he rescues animals in danger in various places at different times through his own efforts, out of love for animals.

The DNCC administrator said: "You came forward as volunteers to rescue the trapped cat, which is without doubt a noble effort. The cat was stuck on the elevated expressway, and DNCC workers tried with two ladders to rescue it; I was there myself. You were able to rescue it safely with this special cage. You have shown yourselves to be good citizens. Many thanks to you for such work."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.