Now landlessness bars Barguna youth’s police job

After Barishal's Aspia Islam was barred from joining as a police constable, despite passing the written, viva, and health tests, due to being "landless", this time uncertainty looms over Barguna youth Sajal's getting the job for the same reason.

The issue of landlessness stands in the way of Sajal Chandra Karmakar's finally getting selected for the post of Trainee Recruit Constable (TRC).

Sajal hails from Hosnabad village in Betagi upazila of Barguna.

Although Sajal's father Amal Chandra Karmakar claimed to be landless, the police said that Sajal had hidden the information. The family is now passing their days amid uncertainty over Sajal's getting the job.

According to police and family sources, Sajal Chandra Karmakar alias Antar applied for the post of TRC. On November 14, the physical fitness test was held at the Barguna Police Lines, which he successfully passed and likewise, he also passed the written test, viva-voce and psychological test held on November 17 and 24 respectively.

"Although I passed all the steps, I was not appointed. After the general medical examination and fingerprint impression at Barguna District Police Lines on November 25, I also underwent a medical examination at Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital in Dhaka on the morning of December 4. Then the police verification started. Betagi police station and DSB came to inspect my rented house. I submitted my landless certificate to them," Sajal said.

"Later, I went to the office of Barguna Police Super but I couldn't meet him," he said, adding that, "The additional SP told me that even if you are alright, we can't give you the job because you don't have a permanent address."

Barguna Additional SP Moharram Hossain said, Sajal's ancestral home is in Laukathi village under Patuakhali Sadar upazila but they live in Betagi. They did not give that information in the application form. He could have applied from Patuakhali but he did not. Meanwhile, Sajal's father Amal Karmakar said that the current and permanent address of all their family members is in Betagi, Barguna. Their national identity card, birth registration all are in Betagi so they have applied from here.

However, Barguna Additional Superintendent of Police (Sadar Circle) Mehedi Hasan gave a different statement. He said Sajal stood fourth on the merit list. To be recruited in the police, you have to be a permanent resident of the district. Just having a birth certificate or NID is not adequate. He will need a permanent address, which Sajal doesn't have. His uncle and father have some land in Patuakhali. If he had applied from Patuakhali district, there would have been no problem.

Barguna SP Jahangir Hossain Mallik said, "We can't do anything because they don't have permanent land."

Barguna Deputy Commissioner (DC) Habibur Rahman told this correspondent, "I heard the matter through you. I assure you that the district administration will look into the matter of their not having land."

Sajal's father Amal Karmakar said, "I have been living in Barguna since 1992. My children were also born here. There is an ancestral home in the name of my father in the village of Laukathi in Patuakhali district, but there may be half a decimal of the land in my name. There is no land in my name anywhere. I informed the matter to the police during the investigation. I am drawing the attention of the prime minister so that she also salvages my son like Barishal's Aspia."