MEHERPUR, July 3: Some 51 recently dismissed employees of Meherpur municipality have been deprived of Eid enjoyment.
They and their family members are leading subhuman lives as the current municipality authority dismissed them from the service with no prior announcement. They were posted by the former Mayor Alhaz Motasim Billah as master roll employees.
They alleged that out of 51 master roll employees, only staff Nasima Khatun was appointed without money. But, Shamim Hossain, the husband of Nasima Khatun, claimed that in order to get the temporary job on daily basis, he gave Tk 60 thousand to former mayor Alhaz Motasim Billah.
Golam Kibria, a dismissed staff, who used to take care of the guest house located in the Municipal Community Centre said, "I gave 1,50,000 taka to the former mayor to get the job in 1996 by selling my home and hearths. I was not given any regular job. I was posted with no work no pay basis for Tk 150 per day. I want my money back from the former mayor. The present price of my sold-out property is not less than Tk 15 lakh."
Tax Collector Rabiul Islam said, "I took the job by giving 1,50,000 taka in 2002. My family and I are passing our days in agony. All the dismissed employees like me are deprived of the Eid joy this year. The former mayor gave an assurance of returningh the money. We will go for movement if we do not get our money back."
Mousumi Khan, an employee of the Health Department at the municipality said, "My maternal grandfather and uncle are involved in Awami politics but I lost my service too. I gave Tk 60 thousand to the former mayor for the job. I and my family could not enjoy the Eid due to the pecuniary condition."
The retrenched employees told the journalists that they would go for movement shortly to get the money back.
While asked, former mayor Motasim Billah said, "The employees who lost their jobs were temporary staff. Their allegation of taking money is not true."
In this connection, the newly-elected Mayor, Mahfuzur Rahman, said to The Daily Observer, "The former mayor appointed manpower in excess on temporary basis. Only five to six employees are good enough to serve the same instead of 51. Apart from this, the confirmed staff and officers did not get salary and allowances for nearly one year. I have taken over the charge of the municipality with a debt of crore taka. It is quite impossible to keep the excess manpower now; so we retrenched the excess employees."
