Harijans go on rampage at Dinajpur CS office
People of Harijan community demonstrate in front of Dinajpur civil surgeon's office yesterday protesting recruitment of sweepers from non-Harijan communities allegedly in exchange for bribe. Right, the agitators also ransacked the office apparently in reaction to 'provocative comments' made by officials.Photo: STAR
Harijan people yesterday went on the rampage at Dinajpur Civil Surgeon's (CS) office protesting recruitment of sweepers for the office from non-Harijan community. They damaged furniture, doors and windowpanes and poured litters on the floors of different rooms of the office. The protesters also assaulted Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Md Abu Bakkar Siddique. Sources said the CS office invited application for 19 posts of sweeper in June this year. After official procedures, the authorities concerned prepared a list of candidates selected for the posts from non-Harijan community, sources added. As the CS office put up the list on its notice board at around 12:30pm yesterday, the Harijan people became agitated and started ransacking of the office Being informed, police rushed to the spot and took the situation under control. During the incident, Civil Surgeon Md Abdul Karim was not present at his office. The protesters alleged that the authorities concerned had taken Tk 70,000 to 1,10,000 from each of the candidates of Harijan community, promising jobs at the CS office. But they selected non-Harijan people for the posts of sweeper, taking Tk 2 lakh to 2.5 lakh from each of them. Later, the protesters brought out a procession in Dinajpur town demanding removal of Civil Surgeon Md Abdul Karim. They accused him of taking bribes from Harijan candidates and demanded return of the money. After parading different streets in the town, the Harijan people went to the deputy commissioner's office and besieged it for an hour. Contacted, lawmaker Iqbalur Rahim of Dinajpur-3 constituency said he will urge the authorities concerned to initiate an investigation into alleged corruption at the civil surgeon's office. Denying the allegations, Civil Surgeon Md Abdul Karim said sweepers' were recruited though proper procedures. He however claimed that five sweepers were recruited from Harijan Community.
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