Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Shaheen Imran has sent a letter to the Secretary of the Local Government Department to take necessary action against a UP Chairman of Cox’s Bazar Ukhiya as the charge sheet of the case has been accepted in the court. Section 34 (1) of the Local Government (Union Council) Act 2009 provides for the temporary suspension of a chairman if he is found guilty of a charge sheet received in court in a criminal case. Accused Gafur Uddin Chowdhury is serving as the Chairman of Palangkhali Union of Upazila. In the letter sent last Wednesday (August 2), Deputy Commissioner Ukhia Upazila Nirbahi Officer Imran Hossain attached certified copy of the charge sheet of four cases against Gafur Uddin Chowdhury received in the court. When asked about this, Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Shaheen Imran said that if a chairman is accused in a criminal case, action is taken against him according to law. The court accepted the charge sheet in four cases against the chairman of Palangkhali.
According to the investigation report sent by the Ukhia upazila executive officer, the district administration has informed the local government department about the matter. The letter mentions that the court has accepted the charge sheet of four cases filed against Gafur Uddin Chowdhury. A person named Sirajul Mostafa filed a case with the chairman as the main accused. The main witness of the case, Sheikh Nurul Alam, a resident of Palongkhali Ward No. 4, wrote an application letter to the local government department secretary, divisional commissioner and deputy commissioner to take action against Gafur Uddin Chowdhury when the court accepted the charge sheet. Nurul Alam claimed that Gafur Uddin Chowdhury is a hater of the government. Rohingya drug dealers are close to him. The people of my area are not safe from this chairman who is accused in 18 cases. So I applied to the concerned office to take action against him in public interest. When asked about this, Chairman Gafur Uddin Chowdhury said, I know the matter, that’s why I came to Dhaka. This is a report calling for action, no decision yet. But whatever it is, I will accept it. This public representative, who is expected to serve as the chairman for the third consecutive term, was previously suspended before the end of the second term. At that time, a circular signed by Sharifa Ahmed, Senior Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development and Cooperatives said that the GR case filed against Chairman Gafur Uddin Chowdhury at Ukhia Police Station, the special tribunal case and the charge sheet filed in another case of Ukhia Police Station were accepted by the court. The circular also said Either, since the case against the Chairman is pending, any exercise of power by him is contrary to public interest.
