There are no claimants for the lottery's prize worth Tk 34 crore 68 lakh.
The prize bond's prize money is going unused. Despite winning prizes in lotteries, many are not claiming them. Such incidents occur every year. According to one estimate by the National Savings Department, in the last three and a half years, no claims have been made for the prize money of Tk 34 crore 68 lakh 50 thousand. As a result, the government could not distribute this money. The rules for claiming the prize money from prize bonds within two years of the lottery date still stand.
Yesterday, Saturday, an internal seminar was held at the Internal Resources Division to unveil web-based software developed by the department for investigating the results of prize bond lotteries.
The government sells prize bonds to the public, from which loans can be obtained at any time. Each prize bond costs Tk 100 with no direct interest. The prizes are awarded through lotteries. The first prize is Tk 600,000. From each series, a total of 67 prize bonds receive the first prize. The second prize is Tk 325,000. Similarly, one prize is given from each series for this prize. The third prize is Tk 100,000. Two prize bonds from each series receive this prize. The fourth prize is Tk 50,000, with two prizes per series. Additionally, there is a fifth prize of Tk 10,000, with 40 prize bonds per series. Lotteries for prize bonds are held every three months. In one lottery, a total of 3,082 prize bonds receive prizes. The total prize value for each lottery is Tk 108,875,000. Thus, in four lotteries per year, the total prize value is Tk 435,500,000. However, this amount is not distributed every year.
According to the National Savings Department, in the fiscal year 2018-19, customers of prize bonds received Tk 302.5 million in prizes. No claims were made for the Tk 133 million 30 lakh prize in that fiscal year. In the following fiscal year, customers received Tk 271.7 million, with Tk 163 million 80 lakh in unclaimed prizes. In the fiscal year 2020-21, prizes worth Tk 404.1 million were distributed, with no one claiming Tk 30 million 140 lakh. In the current fiscal year, customers have received Tk 199.1 million from the first two lotteries, with no claims for Tk 108 million 60 lakh.
Speakers at the seminar said that one of the main reasons for not claiming prizes is that many customers cannot properly access prize bond results. Additionally, due to forgetting and losing, many do not receive prizes or it becomes impossible to award prizes.
The website for checking results has been launched: 'Prize Bond Result Inquiry Software' or PIBRS. Senior Secretary of the Internal Resources Division and Chairman of the National Board of Revenue, Abu Hena Md. Rahmatul Munim, inaugurated it at the NBR office yesterday.
It was announced at the seminar that from now on, through the web-based software on the Internal Resources Division website, the results of the 'draw' of prize bonds can be found in the internal e-service section. Prize bond results can be obtained in two ways on the website: by entering the number in the search box or by uploading a Microsoft Excel file to know the results. Additionally, Bangladesh Bank's website has a provision for result inquiries.
Abu Hena Md. Rahmatul Munim, Chairman of NBR, said that it is difficult to find out whether anyone has won a prize from the prize bond lottery. It is hoped that it will be easy to know the lottery results in this method. Director General of the National Savings Department, Md. Shah Alam, said that all the prizes of the prize bonds are not distributed.
The same situation exists in the FDI lottery: Every month, through FDI machines across the country, 101 taxpayers are awarded. The first prize is Tk 100,000. The remaining 100 receive Tk 10,000 each. Those who receive these prizes are not coming to collect them. From the last 13 lotteries, a total of 89 people have received prizes. However, 1,313 people have won prizes. Yesterday, the 14th draw of FDI was held.
Regarding this, the Chairman of NBR said that efforts are being made to familiarize the FDI. Various methods, including newspapers, television, and miking, are being used for publicity. However, people are not coming to take the prize money. Why this situation exists is being analyzed.
মোট ২ টি মতামত/মন্তব্য
Hasan Mahamud
This post highlights the issue of unclaimed prize money from prize bonds and FDI lotteries in Bangladesh, amounting to millions of Taka over the years. Key points include: Unclaimed Prizes: The National Savings Department reports significant amounts of unclaimed prize money, with Tk 34 crore 68 lakh 50 thousand remaining unclaimed over the last three and a half years. Government Efforts: An internal seminar was held to introduce web-based software to facilitate investigating prize bond lottery results and make them easily accessible to the public. Prize Bond Structure: Details about prize bond costs, prizes, and the frequency of lotteries are provided. Lotteries are held every three months, but not all prize money is distributed annually. Unclaimed Prizes Over Years: Over the past fiscal years, substantial amounts of prize money remain unclaimed, indicating issues with accessibility to prize bond results and forgetting or losing prize bond details. New Software Launch: A new website, 'Prize Bond Result Inquiry Software' (PIBRS), has been launched to facilitate checking prize bond results, aiming to increase accessibility for customers. FDI Lottery Similarity: Similar issues are observed with unclaimed prizes in the FDI lottery, where efforts to publicize and familiarize the process have not fully addressed the problem. Ongoing Analysis: Authorities are analyzing reasons behind the lack of claims and seeking ways to increase participation and prize collection. Overall, the post sheds light on the challenges faced in distributing prize money effectively and the steps being taken to address the issue.
Himu
Unclaimed prize money from prize bonds and FDI lotteries in Bangladesh highlights accessibility challenges. The launch of web-based software aims to streamline result inquiries, but ongoing efforts are needed to address unclaimed prizes and boost awareness.