Rajshahi, Mar 29 (V7N)– The Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has abruptly laid off 120 temporary employees, just before the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday, causing distress and outrage among the affected workers and local residents.

"120 temporary employees of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) lost their jobs before Eid," a local labor rights advocate confirmed.

The layoffs were formalized in an office order issued by RCC Acting Secretary Taimur Rahman on Thursday, March 27, with the decision taking effect from April 1, after the Eid holidays.

"Acting Secretary of the RCC Taimur Rahman laid them off in an office order on Thursday (March 27). The decision will be effective from April 1 after Eid, the letter mentioned," an RCC internal document revealed.

Affected employees expressed their dismay, calling the timing of the layoffs "inhumane."

"The victims say that it is inhumane to lay off employees like this before Eid," a laid-off employee reported.

The office order, titled "Abolish departments/branches outside the approved organizational structure, attach necessary manpower, and discharge daily wage employees who are alleged to be unemployed after verification," listed 165 employees. Of those, 120 were deemed "not required" and subsequently terminated. The remaining 45 were reassigned to various branches and offices.

"The letter titled 'Abolish departments/branches outside the approved organizational structure, attach necessary manpower, and discharge daily wage employees who are alleged to be unemployed after verification' contains a list of 165 employees. Of these, 120 have 'not required' written next to their names. They have been relieved. The remaining 45 employees have been attached to various branches and offices," an RCC official stated.

Acting Secretary Taimur Rahman justified the layoffs by citing the closure of "illegally opened" branches and the resulting surplus of manpower.

"Acting Secretary of the RSK, Taimur Rahman, said that 120 people out of the 165 people on the list have been laid off. These manpower are no longer needed due to the closure of some branches that were opened illegally. However, the 45 employees who are needed have been kept," Rahman explained.

This recent layoff follows a similar incident in November of the previous year, when 161 temporary RCC employees were terminated.

"In November last year, 161 temporary employees of the RSK were laid off," a city corporation record confirmed.

Ahmed Safiuddin, district president of Citizens for Good Governance (Sujon), criticized the sudden layoffs as "inhumane" and warned of potential social consequences.

"Ahmed Safiuddin, district president of Citizens for Good Governance (Sujon), says that such sudden layoffs are inhumane. He said, 'After the mass uprising, many people have lost their jobs. This is one of the reasons behind the deterioration of the law and order situation. There has been no research on whether it is or not. When people lose their jobs, they go astray. The process of laying off workers at the RSK is sad. It is absolutely inhumane. It should have been done with more thought. By development of the country, I mean employment. Not unemployment,'" Safiuddin stated.

He also expressed concern about the impact on civic services, which he claimed were already struggling due to manpower shortages.

"He said, the city corporation has to do about 50 types of work in civic services. Now civic services have completely collapsed. People in Rajshahi are suffering and harassed. Manpower is needed to increase civic services. Conversely, reducing it will not work. If the previous government made appointments based on political considerations, then it is their fault. It is not the fault of those who were serving. Now in the future, we may see new appointments for political purposes. If this happens, the matter will be like old wine in a new bottle," Safiuddin warned.

Acting Secretary Taimur Rahman declined to comment further, stating that he was acting on instructions from higher authorities.

"When asked, Taimur Rahman, acting secretary of the RSC, said, 'I actually have no comment on this matter. I only signed the letter as per the instructions of the higher authorities,'" Rahman stated.

END/RAR/RH/