People suffer as birth, death registrations yet to go online

CHANDPUR, Mar 16: Service recipients have to suffer most as birth and death registration processes have not yet gone online in Narayanpur Municipality in Matlab Dakhshin upazila of Chandpur district.

Narayanpur union was declared a municipality by the then government in 2010. But following a civil suit, all activities related to transforming Narayanpur into a municipality were deferred by a court order.

At last, all legal complexities were cleared and about two years ago, a municipal administrator was appointed by the government to run this municipality.

Now it is being run by an administrator named Md Jabed Hossain Chowdhury, who is also an executive magistrate (AC Land).

Narayanpur was a very old union having as many as nine wards and 30 mohollas in 9.2 square km area, with a population of over 60,000.

Narayanpur Bazar in the municipality area is just beside Chandpur-Matlab-Pennai Road and so, it has become a famous rural commercial hub since independence that remains always busy and bustling for 24/7 till midnight.

There are schools and college, madrasas, government primary schools, banks, mosques, government and non-government offices, private hospitals and clinics and several business establishments.

It was observed that the municipal office sits in the old Union Parishad Bhavan which has become dilapidated over the years for want of proper maintenance and repair. Locals alleged that no local government body election was held in this union for over 20 years due to the civil suit. Consequently, no new voters could cast their votes for a long time.

It was observed that all official works are being done offline in the municipality office. Works are not being done here online yet due to various official complexities. That is why people are being deprived of getting digital services in this municipal office.

Service recipients, mostly those who come from remote places, suffer most.

Birth and death registration certificates are processed offline here, which is not accepted by other offices, putting the service recipients into further hassles.

The official works are done offline by the administrator himself alone as there are no other staff members in this office.

In addition, six members of Gram Police (village police) under this municipality are not getting their monthly salary for the past 14 months.

So they have been suffering a lot in running their families at the time of the present price spiral, alleged affected Gram Police members Shukumar Saha and his colleagues.

Jahurul Huque, a resident of Kalikapur village, Babul Hossain, a resident of Sharpar village, and a few others waiting in the municipality office told the FE that they were not getting birth registration certificates of their children despite coming here several times from remote areas leaving their daily works in crop fields.

Administrator Md Jabed Hossain Chowdhury said, "As ward- wise gazette of this municipality is not yet done and the Bureau of Statistics has not yet provided GO code of two digit , we can't provide people with any birth registration certificate of their children. We have already informed the higher authorities about this vital matter and the sufferings of people."

He added, "We are hopeful that we'll get it soon. Then the sufferings of people will end. Till then we must wait please.''

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