PSFL takes blank cheque for job

Polli Shakti Foundation Limited (PSFL) has published an advertisement on officer recruitment (Human Resource and Administration) for the company in a Bangladeshi job portal Chakri.com. But they have given some weird condition like candidates must submit their original copies of all academic certificates along with a blank cheque signed by the applicants before joining the job.

The company has been assigned to set up solar power in the country’s rural area in financial support with Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL). They advertised for two posts but didn’t mention initial salary scale and educational qualification for the posts. However, the recruited officers will be paid Tk 13,000 as salary while getting confirmation after six months.

PSFL has mentioned lots of terms and conditions in the advertisement such as selected applicants have to submit original copies of all academic certificates and a cheque signed by the applicants (without date and mention the amount of money). Expelled and studying candidates are not eligible for the posts.

Mentioning the process of taking blank cheque from the job seekers is illegal, Advocate SM Rezaul Karim, former General Secretary of Supreme Court Bar Council told Jago News, there is no legal base to take blank cheque from the job seekers and it’s totally illegal.

“The applicants will be fall in danger, if the authorities write an amount in the cheaque,” he said adding that if any institutions are doing this, they are committing a crime.

The advocate also said that a case would be lodged against the account holder if the blank cheque is rejected or dishonoured from the bank. Anybody can do this if he/she finds a blank cheque.

When contacted regarding the illegal advertisement, Regan, Deputy Manager of PSFL, confessed the matter without any hesitation.

“The blank cheque offered for the security purpose as many people fled away with the money of the company,” said the Manager adding that it is not applicable for the all designations.

“We offered blank cheque from those are involved in money transaction process,” he added.

While informing him about the process is illegal, he also said, “we are taking the blank cheque for the company’s security purpose.”

Md. Naimul Rahman, Senior Account Specialist of Chakri.com told Jago News that we verified the institution address first before posting the advertisement. Then we investigated their HR policies.

“After scrutinizing their information, we gave access to them for posting their advertisement,” he informed, adding that we are only check the content.

Md Enamul Karim, Head of Renewable Energy of IDCOL, told Jago News that they were giving financial aid to the PSFL but didn’t give this kind of directions in the recruitment process.

“These things are their own matters.” he said.

Meanwhile, Chakri.com has already removed the advertisement from their website after publishing reports on Jagonews24.com.

(The article originally published in Bangla edition of Jagonews24.com is written in English by Zobaer Ahmed)