Postmen persist as dedicated messengers in a digital age

In an era of instant communication, the once indispensable postal department has faded into obscurity with the younger generation hardly aware of this once venerable service. The image of a postman has become an enigma to today's school and college students, as personal letters have been replaced by text messages, audio and video calls.

The postman, once a vital link in personal communication, has seen their significance diminish in recent times.

Only the older generation still holds nostalgia for the postal department and its messengers, reflecting on cherished memories.

"Our time was the golden age of letters. I would eagerly wait for the postman, hoping for a letter. If a money order was on its way, time seemed to stand still," reminisced 64-year-old Ruhul Amin.

However, while the role of the postman has undergone significant transformation in the face of technological advancements, their presence still remains relevant. Though the personal letter has taken a backseat to instant communication, postmen continue to serve as vital conduits of official documents and important correspondences.

Not enough postmen to meet the demand

The Dhaka General Post Office in Gulistan is recognised as one of the busiest post offices in the country. Despite having 125 post positions for postmen, the current workforce consists of only 51 individuals.

Md Solaiman Khan, information officer at Dhaka GPO, said that the delivery area of Dhaka GPO is extensive. While personal communication through letters has declined, the volume of official letters has not only remained steady but has also multiplied. As a result, the postmen here are constantly engaged and occupied with their duties.

Deputy Postmaster General and Senior Postmaster Mohammad Masud Parvez said that there has been no increase in the number of postmen positions since 1984.

"In the past, it was considered an emergency service, and vacancies for postmen were promptly filled. Even if someone took a day off, their responsibilities were temporarily assigned to individuals from a daily candidate list," he said.

"However, the current recruitment process differs significantly from before. All government recruitments now follow a centralised system. As a result, there are many unfilled positions due to the complexities involved in hiring new postmen," he added.

According to the Directorate of Posts, the government currently has 2,143 postmen, which falls short of the total number of posts at 3,355. Additionally, out of the 9,974 post offices in the country, 8,543 are extra departmental, with 7,253 postmen working as Extra Departmental Delivery Agents in these offices. Moreover, there are 289 postmen employed temporarily through outsourcing.

Altogether, there are 9,685 postmen serving across the country. Authorities have expressed concern that the current number of postmen is insufficient to meet the demand, leading to additional duties for them.

More duties, less facilities

Over the years, as the country's population has increased, so has the number of households. Single-storey houses have been replaced by multi-storied buildings, and the shift from joint families to smaller, individual families has further divided addresses within the same house. Consequently, the workload of postmen has significantly expanded, as they now have to cover a larger scope of work than before.

Mahbubur Alam Morol, a postman with over 30 years of experience at Mirpur Post Office, said that while postmen have a designated time to start their work at the office, there is no fixed time for them to finish and return home.

Md Abu Saeed is one of the senior postmen working in the General Post Office, Dhaka. He started working as a postman in 1991 on a daily wage basis. His job was made permanent in 1994. He has been working in the same post for more than 30 years.

He said that despite the decrease in the number of letters, their working area remains extensive.

"One individual is now required to handle the workload that used to be carried out by four people. Even if there is just one letter to deliver, it often entails covering a considerable distance on foot," he said.

In the past, the postal department used to provide bicycles to postmen, but that practice has been discontinued. While postmen in rural areas still use their own bicycles for work, bicycles are not extensively used in Dhaka. Consequently, urban postmen have to rely on buses, rickshaws, or walking to cover long distances in their delivery routes.

Abu Saeed said that in the past, the office used to allocate Tk1,000-Tk1,200 for travel expenses, but now it has significantly reduced to Tk300-Tk400. As a result, most of the travel expenses now come directly out of  their own pockets.

The minimum educational requirement for recruitment as postmen is SSC (Secondary School Certificate). The pay scale for this position, classified as 17th grade, ranges from Tk9,000 to Tk21,800. However, the Extra Departmental Delivery Agents working in rural areas receive a maximum salary of approximately Tk4,000-Tk4,500 per month.

'More divorce letters than love letters'

In the past, letters served as the primary means of expressing love, affection, or friendship to others. However, times have changed. While the exchange of love letters has not entirely ceased, the present generation finds it more convenient to deliver such messages in person or through digital devices.

Ismail Fakir, the postmaster of Karimganj Post Office in Kishoreganj, remarked, "We rarely receive love letters to deliver nowadays. Conversely, people now use the post office to send divorce letters."

Officials from various post offices, including Dhaka GPO, Mirpur Post Office, and Kishoreganj Main Post Office, said that a significant portion of the letters exchanged through the postal system nowadays are primarily related to legal matters, such as litigation, divorce, and land disputes.

Adopting new technology

To stay up-to-date with modern times, the postal department is actively embracing new technology that has significantly transformed the way postmen carry out their work. Currently, electronic POS (Point of Sale) machines are employed for delivering registered letters and parcels. 

This device allows the sender to track the location of the registered item conveniently. Once the postman completes the delivery, the sender receives an immediate notification, minimising the risk of letters or parcels being lost.

Senior Postmaster Mohammad Masud Parvez said the rise of online businesses in the country has given rise to new opportunities for postmen. 

He said that the post office has the potential to become the most trusted and reliable medium for delivering parcels ordered online. 

"With a focused plan in place, we are progressing towards this goal. As technology continues to advance, the demand for postmen is expected to grow even further. While technology enables various tasks, ultimately, someone still needs to physically deliver the parcels," he said.