DHAKA: Do as I preach, not as I practise. Many officials leading government campaign for family planning of the public are blessed with families large enough to make one raise their eyebrow.
Most officials of the Family Planning Department have a good number of children in their own houses as they do not believe in a planned family.
Many of them appear to be prolific producers—being proud parents of a dozen!
So far, only three of the directors-general of the Family Planning department applied the essence of family planning and kept their family small in size. The rest walked the wrong way round--having a large family.
Since 1976, 15 directors-general out of 19 have fathered two or more kids.
Directors, deputy directors, assistant directors, project officers, field supervisors and other employees also followed the path of making large family.
Only nine top officials out of over a hundred, between deputy director and director-general adopted permanent methods of family planning – either Ligation or Vasectomy, competent sources at the Family Planning Department said.
The Family Planning department propagated the key message encouraging two kids in each family while the propagators were on the wrong side.
Former director-general Meer Shahabuddin fathered three daughters while another former director-general, M Tobibur Rahman, has four kids. He also married more than once.
Eleven former directors-general, including Shafiuddin Ahmed, Mohammad Nazmul Huq, Taslimur Rahman and Col. Abdul Latif Mallik, fathered three or more. Col (rtd) Hasmat Ali is father of five.
However, only three directors-general have apparently small family of one or highest two.
Director Enamul Huq is happily married with three daughters and a son, Director (Admin) Nawab Ali has two sons and a daughter while deputy director Abdul Latif fathered four.
The employees are not lagging behind the bosses. Believe it or not, Shamsuddin, a staff member who has been working for the transport-engineering unit of the department for the last 25 years, got married thrice and fathered 18.
BDST 2100 HRS, JULY 11, 2010.
