Bagerhat, Feb 07, (V7N) - In Morelganj, Bagerhat, field-level officers and staff of the Family Planning Department have staged protests and a sit-in to raise concerns over continuous irregularities by Family Welfare Assistant Shamim Ara. The protesters later filed a written complaint with the office of the Upazila Executive Officer (UEO) through a public petition.
 
On Thursday, at 12 PM, the protest took place in front of the Morelganj Press Club. Family Welfare Assistants (FWA), Family Planning Inspectors (FPI), and Family Welfare Inspectors (FWV) from the field-level, totaling 87 officials and employees, participated in the demonstration. They complained about Shamim Ara, who is responsible for the Morelganj Sadar Union’s Family Planning Office. The protesters claimed that Shamim Ara had been absent from her workplace for years, staying in Dhaka and occasionally visiting her office just to collect her salary without fulfilling her duties. This ongoing issue had caused dissatisfaction among the staff.
 
The employees also expressed their anger over Shamim Ara’s repeated misuse of power, using threats and political pressure to cover up her misconduct. Recently, when Morelganj Family Planning Officer Dr. Md. Hasan Tarek raised concerns about Shamim Ara’s behavior, her husband, Mizanur Rahman, reportedly threatened and verbally abused the officer. Furthermore, Dr. Hasan Tarek was accused of making false allegations to the Director General in Dhaka.
 
The protesters strongly condemned this behavior and demanded that the higher authorities withdraw the harassment charges against Dr. Md. Hasan Tarek and conduct a thorough investigation into Shamim Ara’s actions. They warned that if their demands were not met, they would continue their protests. Key speakers at the rally included Upazila Family Welfare Assistant Chairperson Nazma Khanam, Emdadul Haque Tupu, and FPI Jewel Azad.
 
In response to the allegations, Shamim Ara, the Family Welfare Assistant of Morelganj Sadar Union, stated that she was undergoing treatment in Dhaka due to illness and had informed the higher authorities about her situation. She denied the accusations of inappropriate behavior by her husband and insisted that the claims were untrue.
 
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