FF, family on hunger strike demanding return of son’s job

A freedom fighter (FF) along with his family members and relatives started an indefinite hunger strike in front of Bangladesh Bank office in Rangpur city on yesterday morning, demanding reinstatement of his elder son to the job at the bank.  

The freedom fighter, Rangalal Mohanta, 70, hailing from Shailmari village under Nilphamari’s Jaldhaka upazila, also threatened to refuse the state honour after his death if his son’s job is not returned with due respect.

“I got the job of a currency note counter at Bangladesh Bank office in Rangpur in 2012. In May this year, the bank authority dismissed me as Tk 1000 was found short in a bundle,” said Rangalal’s elder son Sadhan Chandra Mohanta.

“Each currency note bundle is counted by two persons. I was the first person to count the bundle. The second man to count the same bundle also failed to detect the short.”

“If I was punished for the mistake, the second man must be punished too. But, the bank authority kept him in the job,” said Sadhan.

Demanding reinvestigation into the incident, Rangalal said, “Dismissal of my son is illegal. I will accept the decision if reinvestigation finds my son guilty. If not, I urge the bank authority to return the job to my son.”

“We are leading a hard life after our son’s dismissal,” said Sandha Rani Mohanta, wife of the freedom fighter.

Contacted, Fazlar Rahman, deputy general manager of Bangladesh Bank in Rangpur, declined to talk over the issue.

Talking to another journalist, Golam Haider, the then executive director of Bangladesh Bank’s Rangpur branch, said, “Sadhan was dismissed following due procedure as a probe committee found him guilty.”