RAJSHAHI, Sept 15: In a shocking revelation from Rajshahi City's Ward no. 3, it has been found that a significant number of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) subsidy cards, intended for the poor, are instead being held by financially well-off individuals.
While these cardholders are officially documented as day-labourers, investigations show many of them own multi-storey houses, drive private cars and lead affluent lifestyle.
One such individual is Fazlur Rahman, a retired employee of Bangladesh Bank. Despite owning a three-storey house in upscale Bank Colony on Amir Hamza Road, he received a TCB card under the occupation of "day-labourer."
When contacted, he admitted applying for the card but abruptly ended the call when asked about the false profession listed.
Similarly, Tajbul Haque, a retired Education Board employee with a house in Daspukur Mor, also holds a card. He has even built separate houses for each of his four sons in the same area.
His eldest son, Shamim, is currently employed at Rajshahi Education Board. Attempts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful.
Another cardholder, Rabiul Islam, owns a large hotel near Nowdapara's Amchattar area and a three-storey house in Daspukur. He is known to regularly use a private car.
Locals expressed astonishment over how someone living such a lifestyle could qualify for government aid meant for the poor.
Rabiul claimed he owns only a single-storey house on half a decimal of land and denied owning a car; stating he only occasionally uses vehicles belonging to acquaintances. He, however, avoided responding to questions about being listed as a day-labourer.
Kazi Nazmul Kabir, an office assistant at Rajshahi Divisional Cultural Academy for Ethnic Minorities, also received a card listing his occupation as a day-labourer.
When questioned, he said that local residents had taken his national ID to apply on his behalf and claimed he was unaware of what was written on the card.
Locals report that following the fall of Awami League government, Rajshahi City Corporation invalidated previous TCB cards and compiled a new list.
A committee comprising leaders of two political parties was tasked with this. There are now 2,530 cards issued in this ward, with some distributed recently.
However, the list reportedly includes names of affluent individuals while excluding many genuine low-income residents; daily wage earners, widows and disabled persons.
Among the excluded is 50-year-old Masdar Ali, who cleans the local market with a limp and earns just Tk 4,500 a month.
He used to have a TCB card, which has now been revoked. Sixty-year-old Azad Ali, a painter struggling with multiple health conditions, also lost his card. "If I had financial stability, I wouldn't be working at this age," he said.
In response to these irregularities, President and General Secretary of local BNP unit, Alamgir Hossain and Shamim Hossain Swapan respectively, have submitted formal complaints to Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner and CEO of the City Corporation on three occasions; on June 25, August 8, and most recently on September 4.
Alamgir Hossain stated, "Unless the list is scrapped and redone with transparency, the truly poor, disabled and helpless will continue to be deprived. We will soon announce strong protest programmes involving local residents."
