7,000 TCB smart cards have been retained in Sitakunda of Chattogram for the past two months. They have been issued but yet to be distributed and the people are not being permitted to purchase TCB items. They are claimed to have been retained on instruction by BNP and Jamaat regional leaders. Regional leaders accuse the earlier list contained only Awami League activists and due to this they had requested a fresh list.
Abul Bashar of Bashbaria Union earns his livelihood by imparting education to children at a near-by Maktab. Abul Bashar had proceeded to purchase TCB items on Monday afternoon but had been denied as he had no smart card with him. Yet he affirmed that he had witnessed people with slip of BNP and Jamaat leaders receiving items in the absence of the smart card. Abul Bashar learned later on that his smart card was at the Union Parishad (UP), but on calling up the authorities they informed him his card had yet to be prepared. Another citizen named Jahangir Alam narrated how he had been in a queue with his old card but could not purchase anything. His photograph had been clicked for the smart card but he had no idea whether it had been issued yet or not. Shovon Bhowmik, the Bashbaria Union secretary, reported that 1,065 smartcards were purchased on behalf of the union and 529 were distributed. They had a few left over as they sold those to poor people who produced photocopies of their national ID card instead of giving those items to them. Upazila administration confirmed re-verification process to verify needy and non-needy status of the smart cardholders. Eligible distribution process is in progress. 10,472 smart cards have been distributed on January 29 in nine unions and respective UP secretaries have been entrusted with distribution work. Only 3,550 have been distributed and activated so far and this amounts to 33.89% of total number of beneficiaries and 6,992 remain to be activated. There are 1,691 registered beneficiaries in Bhatiari Union and 1,082 have been distributed smart cards. Only 520 have been distributed, according to Union Secretary Abul Bashar. In Kumira Union, there were 1,375 registered beneficiaries and distribution of only 465 had been completed. In Salimpur Union, 925 out of 1,626 registered beneficiaries have been distributed smart cards and 450 have been distributed up to now. Some temporary beneficiaries in this union do not have mobile phones and this made distribution difficult. Door-to-door distribution have also been hindered by lack of representatives from the locality. Some secretaries of UP, on condition of anonymity, said the smart cards had been delivered two months ago but their distribution had been halted by then-UNO KM Rafiqul Islam. Later on, distribution had been directed by present UNO Md. Fakhrul Islam. Before the start, however, the leaders of BNP and Jamaat submitted a number of substitute lists. In a series of sessions, the leaders forced the UNO to deliver only 30% of the cards at first and distribute the rest according to their proposed lists. In the end, the UNO decided to deliver 50% of the smart cards.
Read More: Gen Z Redefining Financial Planning and Wealth Building
The Ameer of Jamaat upazila Md. Mizanur Rahman admitted having met the UNO in regards to the TCB beneficiaries. They decided on giving out 30% in the first phase and the remaining 70% on the basis of a fresh list to be submitted to the UNO. Jamaat representatives were directed to meet with the UP secretaries and make the fresh list. They claimed the previous list had only supporters of the Awami League and it would be different in the fresh list. Upazila BNP secretary Kazi Mohammad Mohiuddin claimed the former government had not been considering the poor and had been distributing the cards to party activists instead. They requested the poor people receive the cards and as such brought out this new list. TCB officials bring a fixed number of products to each union and sell them first to smart cardholders and whatever remains to poor people who have photocopies of their national ID cards with them. Any involvement of leaders’ slips in distribution was out of the question for him. It started the distribution of TCB smart cards upon assuming office but had complaints of ineligible individuals being enrolled. So he instructed a review first and then started the process of distribution again. Replying to a question regarding the first list of beneficiaries, the UNO had this to say: “Earlier chairmen and members of UP prepared the earlier list. They gave this list to us and we distributed the smart cards accordingly. I have no idea how they chose the names.”
Source: Prothom Alo
