An administrative stagnation persists in Bagerhat due to suspended operations of union and municipal offices following the resignation of the Awami League-led government on August 5.
Bagerhat district comprises of nine upazilas, three municipalities, and 75 unions, employing a total of 1,041 public representatives, including mayors, councillors, upazila chairmen, vice-chairmen, union parishad members, and female UP members, most of them being affiliated with the AL and its front organisations.
Since the fall of the government following a mass upraising, most of these AL-affiliated public representatives have gone into hiding over security concerns.
Their prolonged absence has been disrupting services such as issuance of birth and death registrations, citizenship certificates, trade licences, and inheritance certificates.
As such, residents are being deprived of essential services.
The Local Government Division in Bagerhat has been urged for restoring these services promptly to alleviate public suffering.
Visiting Gotapara, Bemarta, Karapara, Shatgumbuj, Raripara, and Banagram UPs on Thursday, this correspondent found only a few public representatives present at the offices, with most services on hold. A similar situation was observed at Bagerhat Municipality office as well.
“I came for my citizenship certificate for an urgent need, but failed to collect it as it cannot be issued in absence of the mayor,” said Nasir Sheikh, a resident of ward 9 in the municipality.
Kohinur Akter Dalim, a female councillor, admitted that the mayor and councillors have not been coming to the office for several days.
“Without the mayor, official work cannot proceed. I am occasionally visiting the office,” she added.
Saiful Islam, a representative from Karapara UP, echoed her, saying, “Many citizens have been coming for services, but we are unable to provide any as the chairman has not been coming to office.”
Dr Md Fakhrul Hasan, deputy director of Local Government Division in Bagerhat, said they have submitted a list of absentee public representatives in the district to the ministry.
According to the report, at least 50 percent of the public representatives are absent from their workplaces.
“We will take further decisions based on directives of the ministry,” he added.
