Some employees of Directorate of Posts have allegedly embezzled a large amount of money from its fund over last four years.
According to sources in Posts and Telecom Ministry, 11 cases of such irregularities have so far surfaced involving postal staffers. The amount of money, misappropriated by postal employees, stands at Tk 55 crore, they added.
Of the total, Tk 29 crore was embezzled from Chattogram General Post Office (GPO) while Tk 9.5 crore from Noakhali Post Office, Tk 2 crore from Barishal Medical College Post Office, Tk 2 crore from Patuakhali Post Office, Tk 1.84 crore from Jashore Post Office, Tk 73 lakh from Shyampur Post Office and Tk 12 lakh from Dinajpur Post Office.
State Minister for Posts and Telecommunications Zunaid Ahmed Palak said that the employees of the directorate not only embezzled Tk 2 lakh from Tanore Upazila Post Office, but also a total of Tk 55 crore from customers and its fund.
He also wrote to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to take action against the employees involved with the embezzlement of
money. A woman named Parul Begum brought an allegation of embezzlement of Tk 2 lakh against Mohammad Moksed Ali, postmaster at Tanore Upazila Post Office in Rajshahi. Even Parul tried to commit suicide after she failed to get the money back.
Later, the state minister initiated a move to know if similar incidents had occurred with others. To date, 51 more customers have alleged that they were victims of fraud.
In an effort to curb irregularities and prevent an annual loss of Tk 700 crore of Directorate of Posts, the ministry has started leasing its cars and land. Until now, 20 institutions have already expressed their interest to take out lease.
Earlier, it was found that 135 out of 462 vehicles worth Tk 69 crore lie unused, resulting in a loss of Tk 700 crore in revenue per annum.
Palak at a recent meeting has dropped a hint that if the directorate cannot make proper use of its vehicles, service points and lands might be leased to private entities.
