Sarankhola sub-registry office shabby, accident may occur anytime

The building of Sarankhola Upazila Sub-Registry Office in Bagerhat has become dilapidated and has become extremely dangerous. Officials and locals fear that accidents can happen at any time. A few days ago, during office hours, a huge part of the roof collapsed in front of the service recipients. Officers and employees are working in this building at the risk of their lives. If the building is not constructed soon, thousands of documents of the area will be destroyed. An application was lodged with the higher authorities a year and a half ago demanding construction of a new building or relocation of the office to another rented house, citing the building as risky. 

When it rains a little, the roof leaks and water falls. The record room and the office were submerged. Documents and other important works are being damaged in this. Also, there are large cracks in the walls of the whole building. The condition of doors and windows is also poor. This important government office of the state is neglected and unprotected.

It is learned that this building was constructed as a court building in 1984 during the tenure of the then Jatiya Party (Ershad) government. After the introduction of Upazila Parishad, Magistrate Court was conducted in this building. Later, 5 rooms on one side of that court building are being operated as sub-registry office. There are settlement offices in 5 rooms on the other side. The building, which was constructed 39 years ago, gradually deteriorated due to lack of significant renovation or modernization.

A visit to the Sub-Registry Office revealed that the entire building was dilapidated. Other weeds including banyan trees have grown on the roof and walls. Doors and windows are broken and walls are cracked. Large chunks of plaster fell off the ceiling and beams of the sitting room and the rod came out. The record room documents have been covered with polythene due to water leaking from the roof. The office room also contains important files and documents. There is a fan hanging in the sitting room with a risky rod. The condition of the toilet is also very bad. Office people are working in it.

Office Assistant Abdul Latif said the building is very risky. It will collapse at any moment. The plaster on the roof falls off during office hours. Employees cannot sit in the office in the rainy period. Of these, we work at the risk of the lives of 18-19 staff members. Document registry is done every Wednesday and Thursday of the week. At that time, the pressure of the people is high. Office work is also disrupted due to space crisis. So we urge authorities to immediately arrange a new building for the registry office from the government.

Awami League leader Md Jalal Ahmed Rumi, general secretary of Sharankhola Document Writers' Association, said, "We are terrified when we enter the registry office. The condition of the building does not look like an office. It's like a haunted house. It is not safe to keep documents and other important documents in it. If the building is not repaired soon, thousands of documents of the area will be destroyed. Senior document writer Freedom Fighter Emdadul Haque said that he visited the office in early 2016 and expressed concern over the dilapidated condition of the office and expressed his opinion that the office building is risky.

Upazila Sub-Registrar Abu Raihan told that a large part of the roof collapsed in front of the service recipients a few days ago while he was in office from this risky building. It didn't occur to him for a while. In this way, the roof is breaking from time to time. There is no safe room for keeping documents. Important documents in the record room have been damaged. He described the building as risky and demanded construction of a new building