Moshiur Rahman Selim, Cumilla South

Forty-nine Union Information and Service Centers across Laksham, Lalmai, Nangalkot, and Manoharganj upazilas in the southern region of Cumilla have become sources of major public suffering due to widespread irregularities, negligence, and corruption by personnel operating them.

Established nearly six years ago under government initiatives to bridge the digital divide and bring information flow directly to grassroots communities, these centers were designed to deliver sixteen core service projects supported by UNDP's financial and technical assistance. However, investigative findings reveal that the centers have largely failed to serve ordinary citizens, with locals increasingly viewing them as a burden rather than a resource.

Field visits across multiple upazilas exposed severe discrepancies, where service providers allegedly create misinformation rather than delivering assistance. Local administration officials and Union Parishad chairmen acknowledged hearing numerous complaints against center operators, noting that higher authorities have been informed.

The centers routinely fail to provide up-to-date information regarding agricultural technology, healthcare, legal rights, and employment opportunities. Market monitoring data is absent, and browsing or downloading vital government forms often incurs exorbitant unofficial fees. Citizens attempting to access essential services—such as birth registration, electricity bill payments, death certificates, and trade licenses—are regularly forced to pay well above official government rates.

Furthermore, operators frequently refuse basic tasks like computer composition, printing, internet browsing, scanning, and photo printing under various pretexts. In several instances, youths visit the centers merely to load mobile and video songs, while locals complain that electricity bill collections are misused for personal business ventures instead of being deposited promptly. Reports also indicate that identifiable political cadres frequently occupy chairs around center operators for hours, ignoring waiting citizens and exacerbating public frustration.

When local journalists attempted to investigate these illegal practices, operators refused to provide explanations. Meanwhile, local administrative officials stated they were operating under political pressure. Officials remarked that they had heard numerous complaints from various sources about every union information center, though formal written grievances had not yet been received.

They assured that legal action would be taken against those accused once concrete proof and formal complaints were provided.