<i>Pension not received in 12 yrs </i>
Complaints lodged with ACC, joint forces
Rezia Haque
The family of a forest officer did not get the pension money 12 years after his death. Begum Rezia Haque said her husband Mohammad Nurul Haque died on February 23, 1995 at Chittagong Medical College while on LPR (leave preparatory to retirement). Nurul Hoque was Range Officer at Panchhari Range of forest department in Khagrachhari. Talking to this correspondent, Rezia said after her husband's death she went to Khagrachhari divisional forest office and submitted all documents. She also claimed that she gave Tk 30,000 to an official at Khagrachhari DFO office to hasten the process. She moved different offices for the pension but luck did not smile on her in 11 years. After waiting for 11 years, she again submitted her papers on November 19 last year. She said Khagrachhari Divisional Forest Office and Rangamati Circle Office verified the documents and sent those to the office of Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF). “Some officials told me to give them all documents again and I submitted papers again on April 21 this year” she said and urged officials concerned to take steps to save her family by completing the process for the pension money. “I also wrote personal letters to several high officials”, she said. When contacted over phone, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sha-e-Alam said, it is an unusual incident. “We sent her file to Rangamati Circle Office after scrutiny early this year. We do not know actually what is up there”, he said. The DFO said he would take step so that the family gets the pension money. Razia said her 23 year-old son Shibu is unemployed and her three daughters are still unmarried. The family is passing hard days, she said. She said she lodged complaints with Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) in Chittagong and Dhaka and to joint forces in Khagrachhari. There is no ACC bureau in Khagrachhari. When contacted, an army officer at joint forces office at Khagrachhari said they are looking into the complaint.
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