CCC female councillor alleges threat

Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) woman Councillor Ferdous Begum Munni at a press conference in the port city yesterday alleged that she was facing threats while witnesses were forced to leave their locality.
Munni filed a defamation case against Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury on Thursday on charge of misbehaviour with her.
Munni, councillor of ward-1, 2 and 3, urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's intervention in ensuring justice in the case.
Rehena Begum Ranu, also a ward councillor and president of Fight for Women's Rights, read out the written statement at the press conference held under the banner of Sammilito Nari Samaj. Ward Councillor Rekha Alam Chowdhury and Fight for Women's Rights General Secretary Bibi Joynab were present at the conference.
Ranu said as an elected people's representative the Mayor Mohiuddin should show respect to women in the society.
“But it is unfortunate that the mayor's (Mohiuddin) behaviour and attitude towards his female colleagues are a threat to safety and tantamount to showing disrespect for women,” she said.
Expressing concern over harassment of Munni by the mayor, Ranu said safety of general women would be at a stake if a female people's representative was harassed in public.
Munni, also women affairs secretary of Bayezid thana Awami League (AL), said the mayor earlier misbehaved with her on different occasions.
She alleged that local AL leaders and ward councillors loyal to the mayor already started threatening the witnesses of the Tuesday's incident.
Ward councillors Abdul Malek, Niaz Md Khan, Jahar Lal Hazari and Abul Bashar went to her Jalalabad residence on Thursday evening to take her to meet the mayor to discuss the case, she said.
Seeking cooperation from all, Munni said the mayor being an influential person can influence the investigation into the case.