Lobbying, begging go together at Secretariat

Munima Sultana Is the Bangladesh Secretariat turning into a place for begging? So far known as a centre for lobbying, the highest seat of government administration is now gradually becoming an ideal ground for beggars. But it is difficult to find how the beggars could enter the Secretariat. Wives or relatives of Class III or IV employees are often found walking the corridors of different ministries asking for tips on various excuses. But nowadays, some women also enter the Secretariat and go to different rooms of officials for money. The FE correspondent on Wednesday afternoon found one such middle-aged woman freely entering different rooms at the top floor of Building No-6 and asking for money. She cooked up an emotional story of the death of her daughter and said she needs the money to bury her. The woman identified herself as Jorina, the wife of one Jalal working as a sweeper in the Secretariat. But at one stage, she told the reporter that her husband died 10 years ago. On being asked, Jorina said she came to the Secretariat as some ministers and officers offered to give her some money to continue her daughter's treatment. "I am not a beggar. Do you think I am begging leaving my dead daughter in slum? Two officials have already given me Tk 2,000. As I need Tk 500 more to buy 'burial clothes', I am trying to get it from others," she said showing two notes of Tk 1,000 denomination each in her hand with tears rolling down her cheeks. Following her on different floors of the same building, the FE correspondent found her imploring officials and employees for money. None of the staff and employees standing on the 5th and 7th floor said they ever saw the woman begging for money in the building. Finding no other way to escape, she finally showed this correspondent her entry into the Secretariat through gate number 3. Though she could go straight to the gate through front path, she went to the gate from behind the cabinet building. At the gate, the security officials refused her entry in the morning but she could manage to enter the building before the afternoon shift started. After talking to the security guards, the woman was, however, led to go out of the building. Mr Bari who identified himself as in-charge of security at the gate refused to take the blame for the incident as it did not happen during his shift. One of the security officials at the gate told the FE that being informed, they removed another woman from the gate on the same day after bringing her from the Law Ministry. Different sections of people regularly enter the Secretariat for lobbying after taking gate passes from the designated officials. Family members and relatives of the class IV employees also often go to different rooms for financial help. "But begging in guise of employees' family members is not usual. This questions the security arrangement inside the Secretariat," said an employee at the corridor.