Hundreds of retired railway employees in Chandpur failed to draw their monthly pension, apparently because of a drop in ticket sales which funds their retirement benefits.
The authorities have cited the political crisis and lack of security on the railways as the reasons behind the drop in sales, which has made a big dent in their earnings.
So far only 150 pensioners out of the 623 affiliated with Chandpur-Boro Station have received their pension for the month of December. Many, coming from different areas of the district, returned empty-handed.
Sokhina Begum, a former railway employee now living in Motlob area, said: “My family depends on the money I get from my pension.”
“I wouldn’t have come for the lump sum if I had an alternative. No one understands the pain and suffering that we pensioners have to go through if we do not have the money on time.”
Another pensioner, Ainul Haque said, “We got the monthly pension for October in November. Only 205 pensioners were able to manage that.”
In this regard, Assistant Station Master of the station Sirajul Islam said the failure to pay pensions had to do with the drop in sales. “Previously, we would have earned Tk100,000-150,000 by selling tickets for the Meghna Express but yesterday we earned only Tk1,500.”
The passengers are afraid of commuting by train because of the violence and acts of sabotage on the railways, according to the Station Master of Chandpur Boro Station Md Hossain Majumder.
“There are consequences to the violent developments in the sector. We are struggling to manage pension funds because of these developments.”
He said he would inform the higher authorities about the matter, and do as instructed.
