Awami League leader withdraws case against UNO Tariq Salmon amid criticism

Barisal Awami League leader Obaidullah Saju has withdrawn his case against Barguna Sadar Upazila’s UNO Tariq Salmon amid heavy public criticism.

Barisal Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 23 July 2017, 07:34 AM
Updated : 23 July 2017, 09:51 AM

Saju appeared before the Barisal magistrate’s court on Sunday to present the withdrawal petition. The petition was accepted by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Amit Kumar.

While serving as the Upazila administration chief or UNO of Barisal's Agailjharha, Tariq Salmon used a drawing of Bangabandhu by a fifth-grader for the invitation card of the Independence Day celebrations.

Salmon, now stationed in Barguna, was in jail for several hours on Wednesday after Barisal Bar Association President Saju sued him for using the drawing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which he alleges was distorted.

The Bangabandhu portrait used for the invitation card was one of the winners of a competition for school children organised by the local administration.

Barisal Bar Association President Obaidullah Saju also sat on the Awami League's district unit. The party has suspended him over the case and sought explanations.

In his defence, Salmon had told the court that the portrait of Bangabandhu was drawn by a child and selected through an official drawing competition on the occasion of Independence Day.

The public servant was sent to jail after he appeared before the court and pleaded for bail. He was kept in a lock-up of the court for two hours until the same judge granted him bail.

Netizens flooded the social media with angry posts that included photos of Tariq being taken to jail from the court with handcuffs on.

The Awami League suspended its Barisal unit leader Obaidullah Saju on Friday for filing the case against Tariq.

Six Bangladesh police personnel assigned to the court were also withdrawn for ‘harassment’ of the UNO.

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