The government has suspended Rajshahi city corporation mayor Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul after he was charged in four criminal cases, including murder of a police constable, during anti-government demonstrations.
The local government division on Thursday issued the order on Bulbul’s suspension saying that since charge
sheets had been submitted against the mayor with the Rajshahi Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s court, he had been suspended as per section 12(1) of Local Government (City Corporations) Act 2009.
A gazette notification was also issued to this effect on Thursday.
Confirming the report, RCC chief executive officer Azhar Uddin told New Age that they had received a letter on Bulbul’s suspension signed by LGRD ministry’s senior assistant secretary Jasim Uddin Haider.
Azhar Uddin said the Rajshahi courts had received a total of four charge sheets in violence-related cases against the Rajshahi mayor.
He also said that the Rajshahi divisional commissioner had recently sent a letter ordering that mayor Bulbul be sacked as police were confused about whether they could arrest a public representative.
Sources in the local government and rural development ministry said it had suspended the mayor after the Special Branch of police informed the ministry that a charge sheet against Bulbul had been accepted by the court, they added.
Earlier in 7 January 2015, Sylhet city mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury, who was sent to jail in the Shah AMS Kibria murder case, was suspended from his post.
New Age could not contact Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul as he had been in hiding since February.
Bulbul’s predecessor Mizanur Rahman Minu, also BNP joint secretary-general, termed the government action ‘undemocratic’.
Earlier on 24 February, the additional chief metropolitan magistrate court had rejected the bail prayers of 36 BNP leaders and activists, including Bulbul, and sent them to jail in the police constable murder case.
On 4 March, a High Court bench of justice Naima Haider and justice Zafar Ahmed had granted bail to three leaders of BNP, including Bulbul who had been absconding since February.
Meanwhile, a court has remanded Gazipur mayor MA Mannan, also a BNP leader, in police custody for a day for interrogation in a case over vandalism and arson of two vehicles. Mannan, also an adviser to the BNP chairperson, was arrested on 11 February at his Baridhara residence in Dhaka.
BNP-backed Ariful Haque Chowdhury, MA Mannan and Bulbul won the Sylhet, Gazipur and Rajshahi city corporation elections respectively in June 2013.
Source: New Age
