PM orders house for Asfia who was denied police job for being landless

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered building a house for Asfia Islam on a government land, so that she can get a police constable job.

Receiving the PM's instruction on Friday morning, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Barishal Jasim Uddin Haider immediately directed Hizla Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Bakul Chandra Kabiraj to find out a piece of land.

The Barishal DC told The Business Standard, "I received the PM's instruction from Prime Minister's Office Secretary Tofazzal Hossain over the phone. The moment the prime minister came to know about the matter, she instructed building a house for Asfia on a piece of government land."

Expressing her reaction over the news, Asfia told TBS, "I have come to know through the media that the prime minister has given instructions to arrange a job for me. I have lost words to express my gratitude. I pay my heartiest thanks to the prime minister. I shall be ever grateful to her."

"I am thankful to all the media for standing beside me. I also pay thanks to all the people of the country for supporting me," she said, adding, "Now my commitment for the country has increased and I want to perform my duties and responsibilities with sincerity and honesty."

Earlier, even after passing all six levels of the recruitment test, Asfia was denied the job at the last stage of the recruitment process during the police verification.

During police verification, she came to know that she had been disqualified for the police constable post for being landless.

She was confirmed that she would get the job as she had successfully passed all the tests including medical, written and viva voce.

She then went to the office of Barishal range DIG SM Akhtaruzzaman on Thursday, urging him to reconsider the decision.

But, even the DIG could not give her any good news as permanent address is mandatory to get the police constable job, as per the rules of employment in the police.

DIG Akhtaruzzaman said, "The girl is undoubtedly qualified for the job as she has successfully passed all the tests for the job recruitment. I have a strong desire to support the girl, but the existing law is the obstacle to getting her the job."

Contacted, Hizla UNO Bakul Chandra Kabiraj said, "I visited different areas of the upazila in search of a piece of government land to build a house for Asfia. A land has been found at Barajalia union of the upazila. Initially, we have decided to build a house there for Asfia."

Construction of the house will start after getting the DC's approval, he added.

Asfia was qualified for the trainee recruit constable post after passing the medical, written and viva voce tests.

What is my fault?

Asfia received the greatest blow of her life when she was denied the job as her father has no land.

"I want to know what my fault is. Is it my fault that my father has no land? I have a permanent address here and my family has been living here for thirty five years," she said.

Asfia Islam has been living with her mother since childhood at Khunna-Gobindpur village of Barjangalia union under Hizla upazila in Barisal. She passed HSC in 2020 from Hizla Government Degree College.

According to the 2019 agricultural census, 40,24,189 families across the country do not have their own cultivable land.

According to the data of Ashrayan Prokolpo, the number of landless and homeless families in the country is 2,93,000 while the number of homeless families are 5,92,261.