Nur Hossain no more councillor

It took the Local Government Division over seven months to expel Nur Hossain, the prime accused in the Narayanganj seven murder case, from the councillor post after he was convicted in another case last year.

Nur, an Awami League-backed councillor of Ward 4 of Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC), was sentenced to one year in prison by a Narayanganj court on September 30 last year for keeping wild animals illegally at his house. However, the LGD issued a notification expelling him from the post on Thursday.

He was expelled under section 13 of the Local Government (City Corporation) Act, 2009. According to the act, if any elected representative is convicted or charge-sheeted in criminal cases, s/he can be suspended.

The delay in suspending Nur exposes the LGRD ministry's double standards. While convicted pro-BNP and Jamaat representatives in local government bodies are dealt with strictly and removed from their posts hastily, convicted pro-AL representatives are shown leniency.

In the last one year, the LGD removed around 25 local government representatives all of whom are involved in BNP-Jamaat politics including the Sylhet and Rajshahi mayors.

On Thursday, the division also temporarily removed Sahjalal Badol, former Chhatra League leader and nephew of Nur Hossain, for remaining absent from more than three consecutive meetings of the city corporation without any logical ground.

Badol was councillor of Ward 3 of NCC.  He went into hiding after the gruesome seven murders in the city in April last year.  

Nur too was absent from the last 10 to 11 general meetings of the NCC as he has been in an Indian jail following his arrest in Kolkata on June 14. He is facing charges of illegally entering the country.

According to the Local Government (City Corporation) Act, if any elected representative remains absent from three consecutive meetings without any logical ground, he or she can be removed. So Nur could be suspended on this ground too.

He was also charge-sheeted in the seven-murder case on April 8 and he could be temporarily removed for this. As per Section 12 of the Act, a mayor or councillor, if charge-sheeted in criminal cases, can be suspended.

The notification, signed by senior assistant secretary Jashim Uddin Haider, declared Ward 4 vacant.

The LGRD ministry sent a letter on the same day to the Election Commission requesting it to hold by-polls for the vacant councillor posts.