Pensioners, who retired from their jobs in July this year, began to receive their allowances directly in their bank accounts

Our Correspondent, Tangail

The elderly pensioners in Tangail are faced with immense sufferings every month as they have to wait long hours in queues to collect their allowances.

Come the start of every month, and they rush to the office of the District Accounts Officer (DAO), which is not equipped to handle the huge gathering of retired government officials.

With a lack of seating arrangements, shade for comfort or enough restrooms, the aged pensioners, who are often accompanied by family as they are unable to walk or commute on their own, suffer for long hours.

According to the DAO, there are around 5,500 pensioners in Tangail Sadar upazila.

During a recent visit to the office, this correspondent saw at least a hundred pensioners waiting for their turn. The queue began at the pension wing on the ground floor of the Collectorate Building and continued outside to the porch and office grounds.

Several pensioners said they not only have to wait at the office for the advice slip, but also later at the bank to collect the money.

Anwara Begum, 82, of Bajitpur village in Tangail Sadar upazila, comes to draw the pension of her late husband every month. She began feeling ill at one point and had to lie on a bench in front of the office for a while.

Anwara said, her husband, who worked at the Public Health Office, died many years ago and since then she has been collecting the money like this.

“Now I cannot move without the help of others due to old-age complications. But what can I do? I need the money to make ends meet, especially to buy medicines.”

A pensioner, wishing anonymity, said, “It would greatly benefit us if the money was directly sent to our bank accounts.”

Shahanoor Islam, president of Tangail district unit of Bangladesh Probin Hitoishi Sangha, said it is not acceptable that the pensioners should suffer as such.

“Not only in the district headquarters, but the situation is the same at the upazila level.”

It would greatly help them if an online system was introduced for them, he added.

When contacted, Abu Rushd Al Abbas, district accounts officer in Tangail, said the new pensioners, who retired from their jobs since July 2019, began receiving their pensions directly in their accounts upon retiring.

In addition, the previous pensioners will be able to enjoy this online facility within a couple of months as it is currently being processed, he assured.

Admitting to the sufferings of the pensioners, the accounts officer said the problems arise when the pensioners come all at once to collect the money within the first three days of the month, he said.

“But no matter how many people gather here, everyone goes home with the pension money.”

“We give pension till the 20th of every month, and the queue is not so long after the initial few days of the month,” he added.