Without any further delay, the government must apologise to the near three and a half thousand distressed women deprived of their 26.9 million taka in savings certificates, and ensure that they are paid the amount immediately along with the accumulated interest.
In 1999 these women bought Tk 4.9 million worth of defence saving certificates from the association registered with BRDB. After eight years when they went to encash the certificates, they were told that they will not be given any interest because their association was not registered under the cooperatives association act. On humanitarian grounds, Bangladesh Bank, NBR and every government department gave their written approval to resolve the matter. The Finance Minister has discretionary powers. Seven years have passed since then but these discretionary powers have not been used to assist these distressed women. Prothom Alo's 21 September report in this regard asserts that the problem will not be resolved without immediate political intervention.
The predicament of these hapless women highlight just how entangled is the public administration in red tape. In this country where even laws are amended to facilitate persons who have pilfered billions of taka from the state-owned banks, in seven long years the problem of these poor women could not be solved. They laboured tirelessly to save this money and now are being deprived of their hard-earned interest.
It is a farce these three and a half thousand poor women are being deprived of justice in a country that prides itself on having women in the offices of prime minister, opposition leader, speaker, foreign minister, vice chancellor and other important posts. It makes mockery of women's empowerment. With payments of just five to 20 taka, these women managed to save up 4.7 million taka. The state should commend these women for their commendable efforts at savings and nation building.
The personal intervention of the prime minister or the finance minister can bring an end to the sufferings of these distressed and deprived women.