Palak orders Tk2 lakh refund to defrauded Parul Begum
Her plight came to light following media reports about her suicide attempt over the non-recovery of money deposited in the post office
Parul Begum, who was defrauded by the postmaster of Tanore in Rajshahi, will be refunded her deposited Tk2 lakh.
The Directorate of Posts decided upon the direction of Zunaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology.
In the presence of Palak, the directorate officials had a meeting in the capital to address the alleged embezzlement of customers' money at the Tanore Post Office and other similar cases.
Parul's plight came to light following media reports about her suicide attempt due to the non-recovery of her Tk2 lakh deposited in the family savings certificate. This prompted the state minister to order stringent actions against corrupt officials within the department.
Director General of the Directorate of Posts Tarun Kanti Sikder explained that Parul Begum had purchased a family savings certificate worth Tk2 lakh and received interest over the first tenure.
"However, during the reinvestment for the second term, she gave the money to Mohammad Moksed Ali without obtaining an official receipt. Therefore, the directorate is not liable for the trust-based financial transaction," he said.
Despite this, the state minister directed the recovery of the misappropriated money from the concerned postmaster to assist Parul. Additionally, necessary measures will be taken against the unethical financial practices of the Upazila Postmaster involved.
In the meeting, Palak instructed officials to identify and prevent such discrepancies across the country, ensuring transparency and accountability within the postal system.
He stressed the need to raise awareness about conducting transactions at post offices only with official receipts.
"The integrity of the entire postal family should not be tarnished due to a few dishonest employees," stated Palak. "To maintain the dignity of the postal service and its acceptability among the citizens of Bangladesh, we must take immediate action to prevent dishonest and unlawful activities."
"We aim to increase the quality of service of the Directorate of Posts, ensure proper use of resources, and deliver seamless services to the citizens, particularly in rural areas, to bring smiles to their faces," the state minister added.