Chairman of Askarpur Union Parishad (UP) in Dinajpur Sadar upazila was suspended from his post on Monday for alleged misappropriation of money that he received from felling of roadside trees in the union.

UP chairman Ziaur Rahman Zia is also secretary of Askarpur union unit of the Awami League (AL).

However, Zia said he was yet to receive any letter in this regard.

In a ‘show cause’ notice signed by Deputy Secretary Md Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury of local government department under Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, Zia was also asked why he should not be suspended from his post permanently as several probe bodies found evidence of corruption against him.

The letter mentioned that different committees during investigation found that Zia received money from sale of roadside trees that he had chopped down in the union and that he did not deposit the money with the government exchequer.

Meanwhile, the same day, around 600 villagers and AL leaders from Askarpur union along with a number of Sadar upazila AL leaders brought out a procession in Dinajpur town, demanding action against Zia for his alleged corruption and illicit drug business.

The protesters later formed a human chain, organised a press conference at Dinajpur Press Club and submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner (DC) of Dinajpur.

The villagers and local AL leaders at the press conference sought the prime minister’s intervention in removing Zia from the UP chairman post as well from the post he holds with AL as the accused allegedly turned a billionaire within a few of years through contraband drug trade and corruption.

They also demanded a proper investigation into the allegations brought against Zia.

Speaking at the press conference, former chairman of Askarpur Union Parishad Mosharraf Hossain said Zia indulged in a frenzy of corruption and became involved in a number of illicit businesses including the trade of contraband drugs through abuse of his chairman post and the post with the local AL.

“He made a huge amount of assets illegally” and he embezzled Tk 41,16,637 in government funds, Mosharraf said.

In 2018-19 fiscal year, Zia misappropriated Tk 11 lakh and in 2017-18 fiscal year, he misappropriated Tk 2 lakhs from different government projects meant for the poor. 

In Askarpur union, Zia is known as the drug lord, Mosharraf said, adding that without obtaining travel permission from the government, he visits India twice a month to hold meetings with masterminds of drug business in the country.

The UP chairman chopped down 36 trees beside roads in the union and made a huge amount of money by using substandard materials in construction work of a road in the union.  

The villagers on various occasions informed the Dinajpur DC of Zia’s corruption and illicit businesses and so far, they submitted a total of five formal complaints with the DC’s office. But no action was taken against Zia, Mosharraf also alleged.    

“The prime minister pledged that no corrupt will be spared. We are respectful to her pledge and we urge Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the AL president, to take stern action against Ziaur Rahman Zia through a fair investigation,” he said.

Mahmudul Alam, the DC of Dinajpur, said that the memorandum received on Monday from the villagers will be sent to the Prime Minister’s Office and necessary action will be taken upon receiving directives from the departments concerned.

Yesterday, Ziaur Rahman Zia at a press conference held at Dinajpur Press Club claimed that the people who brought allegations against him had infiltrated into the AL from Jamaat, Shibir and the BNP.

He also said all the allegations brought against him were baseless, false and fabricated.