3 BNP mayors suspended

Rajshahi City Corpo-ration (RCC) mayor Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul and Sylhet City Corpo-ration (SCC) mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury have been suspended again hours after taking charge on Sunday. Besides, Habiganj municipality Mayor GK Gaus has been suspended again.
The measures against the elected representatives have drawn huge criticisms of the people from different walks of life.  Our correspondents talked to the employees of the concerned city corporations, politicians, civil society members and commoners who sharply reacted to the move. 

They have come up with harsh reactions to the measures immediately after their release from jail on court orders.  Speaking to The Asian Age correspondents, they said tolerance is very important in the democracy. "There must be patience in the democracy." 

The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Deve-lopment and Co-operatives issued separate circulars in this regard as they are accused in criminal cases, said Zakir Hossain, public relations officer of the ministry. BNP-backed RCC mayor Bulbul resumed his duties this morning after the Supreme Court upheld a High Court order that declared his suspension illegal on March 5.

On May 7, 2015, the government suspended RCC mayor Bulbul as he was charged with criminal  offences. The Supreme Court on March 24 upheld a High Court order that stayed the suspension of Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury.

Following the order, Ariful resumed his office this morning. The suspension letter reached Sylhet Nagar Bhaban, three hours after Ariful had taken charge. On January 7, 2015, the government suspended Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury as he had been charged with the killing of former Finance Minister SMA Kibria. Earlier on March 24, Gaus took charge of his office over three years after he had been suspended from the mayoral position.

On December 30, 2015, Gaus was elected the Habiganj municipality mayor again for the third time contesting the polls from jail, but he could not join the office due to the suspension order.

The High Court postponed the suspension order against Gaus on January 23 this year responding to a writ petition he filed and the Supreme Court also upheld the HC's verdict in this regard on January 30.

-AA News Desk