BBS activities hampered

Departmental activities of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) in Patuakhali have been greatly hampered due to acute shortage of manpower.

Sources at Patuakhali BBS office said the district office has been running with only two staffers while 11 out of 13 posts are lying vacant for long. As the post of deputy director (DD) has been lying vacant for about two years, a senior upazila statistic officer is serving in the post as an acting officer.

Twenty-one out of 35 posts in seven upazila offices have been lying vacant for long. Of the 21 posts, four in Dasmina and Kalapara each, and three in Sadar, Dumki, Baufal and Galachipa each and two in Mirzaganj have been lying vacant.

Especially the post of upazila statistics officer in five out of seven upazilas remain vacant for long. 

They have to do various works like conduction of population census but those works have been badly hampered due to lack of manpower, said, Md Masud, survey inspector and also the acting upazila statistics officer in Dumki.

Md Atikur Rahman, acting DD of Patuakhali BBS, said they informed the higher authorities about the shortage of manpower several times but to no effect yet.

Contacted, Md Qader Mia, director (admin) of BBS, said they are trying their best to fill up the vacant posts. He hopes that the problem will be resolved soon.