Irregularities, indiscipline and negligence have allegedly become routine at the NESCO Electricity Sales and Distribution Division-2 office in Rangpur, where officials and employees reportedly arrive late, leaving service seekers waiting for hours.
The office, located at Keranipara Textile intersection in Rangpur city, is scheduled to open at 9am. However, its activities often begin well after the stipulated time. The national flag is also not hoisted on regular working days, with the executive engineer claiming that it is raised only on special occasions.
During a visit to the office at 9am on Thursday, this correspondent found only a cleaner and an office assistant present. An official who arrived at 9:18am said she had come for a visit before explaining that she was feeling unwell.
Several other employees were seen sitting at a nearby electricity supply centre instead of reporting to their designated office.
Another official arrived at 9:20am, citing traffic congestion. A staff member said the office usually starts functioning at 9:30am because Executive Engineer Mohammad Monir Hossain generally arrives after 10am.
Other officials and employees gradually arrived after 9:25am, offering various explanations for their late attendance.
The executive engineer arrived at 9:35 am, 25 minutes after the scheduled opening time. He attributed his delay to a heavy workload, saying he often had to work at night. He also claimed that he remained at the office until 7pm on Wednesday.
Asked why the national flag was not hoisted, he said it was raised only on special occasions. He even questioned whether government offices were required to hoist the national flag every day, confidently insisting that his office followed the practice only on special days.
However, service seekers began arriving from 9am with complaints about electricity bills, meter problems and other issues. Several left without receiving assistance as the relevant officials were unavailable.
Moslema Khatun, a resident of Keranipara, said she visited the office for two consecutive days to lodge a complaint over excessive electricity bills, but failed to meet the executive engineer. "Nobody at the office can say when he arrives or leaves. More importantly, he does not seem willing to meet consumers. It appears he has little interest in ensuring proper services," she alleged.
Solaiman Ali, an elderly resident of the city's R Road area, said he had been visiting the office for three consecutive days over a problem with his household electricity meter but had yet to receive a solution.
"One official sends me to another desk, and I have been running around for three days. On Wednesday, I went to the executive engineer's chamber on the second floor, but an office assistant said he was busy and asked me to return later. I waited for half an hour before leaving. I have come again today," he said.
Ali, a retired senior government official, questioned the purpose of the office if electricity consumers could not receive the services they were entitled to.
When approached for further comments on the allegations of irregularities and poor service, Monir Hossain declined to make any further statement.
