Pabna Municipality fails to provide modern services for staff crisis

PABNA, Aug 8: Founded nearly 150 years ago in 1876 and elevated to a first-class one in 1989, the Pabna Municipality remains plagued with acute staffing deficits and an inability to deliver baseline modern services. 

This operational gap is further compounded by critical asset depreciation. For instance, a newly acquired fleet of service vehicles worth approximately Tk 1.5 crore faces rapid deterioration due to the lack of dedicated storage sheds and preventive maintenance infrastructure. 

Surprisingly, although the building in which the municipality runs was declared abandoned by the government in 2012, nothing has been done to construct a new building. As a result, fatal accidents may happen at any moment.

Due to the problems, the municipality fails to deliver services across its 27.20 km² administrative area. Currently, the municipality relies on just 71 permanent officers and staff to oversee 220 kilometres of road infrastructure. Only 194 conservancy workers are currently active�"yielding less than one worker per km², compared to the standard requirement of three per km². The drainage is maintained by a workforce of only 45 personnel. 

Abdul Malek Dewan, a resident of Ward No. 7 of Pabna Municipality, said, “Although there is a year-long problem of garbage and an unclean drainage system, we face severe problems during the monsoon. Due to the lack of regular cleaning, most of the people in the area get waterlogged even after a little rain. In some areas, water-logging persists for almost eight months of the year.”

Kamal Sen, a resident of the South Raghavpur area of the municipality, said that there is no timely step other than increasing the municipal tax in stages and demanding its payment. If this continues, the people will be forced to take to the streets. The government should pay attention to solving the problems of this institution.

Pabna Chamber of Commerce and Industries President Forkan Reza Badsha Biswas said, “As citizens of Pabna Municipality, we are the most unfortunate ones who have no one to look after us. The municipality is a hundred years old, but the quality of service has not improved even after generations.” 

BSCIC Industrial City President Afzal Hossain Raja said, “Problems exist in every nook and cranny of the municipality and steps must be taken to solve them collectively. Only if the quality of service in the municipality improves, will we be able to live healthily.”

Municipal Administrator Khairul Islam outlined key steps to resolve the ongoing crisis, supported by MP Advocate Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas. Priorities include joining a major growth initiative, proposing a Tk 50 crore Development Project Proforma (DPP), requesting a new administrative building (submitted July 7), and constructing multi-storey housing for Harijan Colony municipal workers.