To get her name on the Prime Minister’s humanitarian assistance list amid the corona pandemic, a 60-year-old poor widow from Barguna had to bribe an UP member.
Kohinoor Begum, allegedly gave Tk 2,000 to Md Shamim Gazi, who is an UP member of Sadar Upazila’s Baliatali Union’s Ward No 2.
On Tuesday afternoon, locals, including Kohinoor Begum of Urbunia village made this allegation against UP member Shamim Ghazi and his father.
Locals said Shamim Gazi, a local UP member in the area, and his father, Quader Kazi, had collected Tk 500 per person from various people, to include their names in the PM’s food list and ration card. A victim named Salam of the same area lodged a complaint against them at Barguna police station.
Additional Superintendent of Police of Barguna Sadar, Shahjahan Hossain, went to investigate the allegations on Tuesday afternoon. During that time, Kohinoor Begum complained to him that UP member Shamim Gazi and his father Quader Gazi demanded Tk 2,000 to get her name listed for the PM’s food assistance and ration card. Later, she sold the rice she stored through begging and bribed Shamim Tk 2,000.
Even after that, Kohinoor’s name was not on the list for the Prime Minister’s food aid. After learning about the incident, Barguna Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Masuma Akter called her and listed her name in the ration card.
Meanwhile, UP member Shamim Gazi and his father are absconding in the face of police operation. Kohinoor is not the only victim in the area, Shamim Gazi and his father took loads of money from other helpless poor people too.
Barguna District Additional Superintendent of Police Shahjahan Hossain said that he had heard about taking money from the impoverished Kohinoor Begum.
He also mentioned names of many others in the allegation, from whom the UP member and his father had taken bribe. Shahjahan further assured that appropriate legal action would be taken in this regard.