Cheated job seekers in Bogra stage protest

19 April 2009, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspodent, Bogra

Cheated job seekers form a human chain at Satmatha in Bogra town yesterday demanding return of their money deposited with SIT Foundation, an NGO.Photo: STAR

A large number of frustrated job seekers formed a human chain at Satmatha in Bogra town yesterday morning demanding return of their deposit money from so-called Bogra-based NGO -- Science and Information Technology (SIT) Foundation. At a press conference at Bogra Press Club Auditorium a few days ago, the job seekers complained that the SIT Foundation authorities collected more than Tk 12 crore from hundreds of people including women in several northern districts during last six months preparing fake appointment letters of a fake project namely UNDO. SIT Foundation Chairman Abdul Mannan Sarker, who is also director of National Academy for Computer Training and Research (NACTAR) under the Ministry of Education, in recent written statements said he had resigned from the post of chairman of SIT Foundation in June last year but papers show that he signed an office order as SIT Foundation chairman on December 31 last year. Earlier several job seekers filed a case against SIT Foundation for cheating them of Tk 57 lakh. They have receipts as proof of paying the money to SIT Foundation. A good number of people complained to the local journalists that NACTAR Director Abdul Mannan Sarker, his son ASM Rawshan Kabir and their accomplices received huge amount of money assuring them of jobs without any receipt. Sohan Ali and his wife Reshma Khatun of Shibpur village in Khetlal upazila of Joypurhat district said they had given Tk 1,20,000 to NACTAR Director Abdul Mannan Sarker in November last year upon assurance of job. “As Abdul Mannan Sarker is a government officer, we believed him and gave him money for jobs without any hesitation,” said Sohan Ali. One Nawab Ali and his wife Bilkis Khatun paid Tk 80,000 for the same purpose. “The organisation defrauded about 4,000 job seekers of over Tk 12 crore during the last six months. Some of the cheated job seekers did not get any money or other financial benefit as salary from the NGO in the last five months,” Md Mostque Zamal, convener of SIT Foundation Deprived Employees Parishad, told the local journalists.