Staff Reporter :
Officials and employees of the Finance Ministry will donate their one day’s salary to contribute towards relief and rehabilitation of Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh since the latest violence broke out in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.
On Tuesday, the Finance Division of the Ministry issued a notice in this regard asking officials and employees of the finance ministry to contribute their one-day salary to the
designated officials by October 3. Leaders of the Officers’ and Employees’ Kalyan Samity of Finance Division and Financial Institutions Division under the Finance Ministry on September 21 made a submission to the Finance Minister AMA Muhith to contribute their one-day salary towards alleviating the suffering of the Rohingya refugees.
The minister endorsed their plea happily and advised the finance secretary to nominate officials to receive the donation. But many third and fourth class employees of the Finance Ministry expressed dissatisfaction at the Ministry’s move and said the Kalyan Samity unilaterally took the decision without their consent in this regard.
“We’re disagreeing with the move because we are little paid. We’re facing hardship to maintain our families. So, it would be burden for us,” an office assistant of the Finance Division told The New Nation yesterday on condition of anonymity.
“I have to pay Tk 500 as per the decision. And the amount is equivalent to my one day’s family expenses. We have all the sympathy for Rohingya refugees, but we are not in a position to donate the amount,” he added.
“They (Rogingyas) are getting enough response from the government and international aid agencies. The government has already allocated lands for their shelter and the international aid agencies have provided them food and other necessities. These are enough for them. So, why should we contribute to them? another third class employee of Bank and Financial Institutions Division told The New Nation yesterday.
Branding the leaders of the officers’ and employees’ Kalyan Samity ‘flatterers,’ he said, they placed the issue to our Minister and he agreed with them instantly on humanitarian ground.
“The matter should be discussed in a meeting seeking our opinion before placing it to the Minister. We’re disagreeing with their move,” he added. The employees also said they were facing immense problem to maintain their families due to rise in living costs as well as commodity prices.
