Councillor Md Nijam Ul Azim is made Rajshahi city’s acting mayor

The government has made Rajshahi’s Ward-21 Councillor Md Nijam Ul Azim acting mayor of the city following suspension of Mosaddeque Hossain Bulbul and absence of panel mayors.

City Corporation-2 Wing of the Local Government Division issued an order to this effect on Monday.
 
The order said Azim had been given the authority to conduct all financial and administrative functions of the corporation until further orders. 
 
Azim said he had received the order and would take charge on Tuesday.
 
Bulbul’s lawyer Aminul Haq, however, said the High Court had stayed the suspension of his client.
 
Bulbul, who was elected mayor for a five-year term in June 2013 with BNP backing, was suspended on May 7 after being charged in court in several criminal cases.
 
Haq told bdnews24.com:  “The (suspension) order has been stayed for one month (by the High Court). A letter to this effect has been sent to the local government ministry on Monday.” 
 

Police arrested Ward-27 Councillor and panel mayor Anwarul Alam on Jan 27 for instigating violence during BNP’s nationwide blockade.

The second panel mayor Nuruzzaman, who is accused in several cases, is also on run.

 “The panel mayors of the city corporation have criminal cases against them in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court and they remained absent in the city corporation,” the circular said.

Earlier, the local government ministry suspended Sylhet City Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury and Habiganj Municipality Mayor GK Gaus on similar charges.

BNP alleged that the Awami League government had been filing ‘false’ cases only to remove elected public representatives of the party.