Residents in Chitalmari, Bagerhat, protested on Sunday demanding the removal of উপজেলা নির্বাহী কর্মকর্তা Khadija Akhtar and উপজেলা সমাজসেবা কর্মকর্তা Ranjit Biswas over alleged irregularities, discrimination and corruption in recruiting data collectors and supervisors for the Family Card household database. Protesters gathered outside the উপজেলা পরিষদ administrative building from 9am to 12pm, carrying banners, placards and brooms while chanting slogans against the two officials.

They alleged that the recruitment notice promised preference for candidates with prior Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics digital survey experience and additional educational qualifications, but said those criteria were not properly followed in appointments to the two posts. Witnesses said operations at several offices, including the UNO office, social services, education and fisheries departments, were halted during the demonstration. Additional police were deployed around the উপজেলা পরিষদ area.

BNP leader Kapil Krishna Mondal of the Bagerhat-1 constituency and local party activists expressed solidarity with the protest. Mondal said the Family Card programme was Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s election pledge and that irregularities and corruption would not be accepted. On Saturday, Akhtar said in a Facebook-posted letter that the appointments announced on August 4 had been suspended. She did not answer calls on Sunday for comment.