Narail Head, Sub-Post Offices
24 work in awfully risky buildings
This 120-year-old sub post office at Ratanganj in Narail town has become awfully dilapidated, exposing the staff and visitors to serious accident anytime.Photo: STAR
Twenty-four staffs working at Narail district head post office and the sub post office at Ratanganj pass their office hours amid panic as the two office buildings have turned awfully risky due to lack of repair. The buildings of the head post office of Narail district and Ratanganj sub post office in Narail municipality, both two-storied ones, were established in 1984 and 1890, official sources said. During a visit of the two offices a couple of days ago, this correspondent found rod of roofs exposed at many places and several cracks on the walls. Chunks of plaster fallen off roofs and walls were seen on the floors. Hanging electric cables pose risk for employees and visitors at the head post office. The staffs at Ratanganj sub post office were seen working in candle light as electricity was disconnected due to miserable condition of the building. The district head post office building houses the postmaster's residence on the first floor and the post office on the ground floor. "Several lakh record books and valuable documents kept in the building are getting damaged as rainwater enters the building through walls. The postmaster's residence has remained vacant for four years ago due to its dilapidated condition," said Munshi Asaduzzaman, district postmaster. "We sent several letters to the higher authority concerned demanding immediate renovation of the building but to no effect," he added. "We are working here amid life risk as chunks of plaster often fall off. Rainwater entering the building causes damage to valuable documents. After construction in 1984, this building saw no repair works," said Md Mizanur Rahman, assistance postmaster of the district post office. Meherunessa Merry, sub postmaster of Ratanganj post office, said, "We are under risk of accident anytime as we work on the ground floor of the dilapidated two-storied building. Its first floor, earlier used as the residence of the sub postmaster, has remained vacant for ten years due to its risky condition." When contacted, Md Nazrul Islam, post office inspector in Jessore, said, "We have given detailed information to our higher authorities about the condition of the two post office buildings and are waiting for result."
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