Upazila Parishad: HC for proper security to chairpersons

The High Court has directed the government to provide security to all upazila parishad chairpersons with gunmen like that of the upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) across the country.

The court also asked the authorities concerned to put up signboards reading "Upazila Parishad Office" instead of the existing "UNO Office" on the gates of all upazila parishad offices.

The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice SM Maniruzaaman came up with the order on September 7 following a writ petition filed by three upazila parishad chairmen, including Md Abdul Aziz of Patuakhali's Dasmina upazila, seeking necessary directives.

The court also issued a rule questioning the relevant rules of the Upazila Parishad Ain that has empowered the UNOs over upazila chairpersons.

Writ petitioners' lawyer Mohiuddin Md Al-Amin confirmed the development to The Daily Star on Thursday night.

He said the HC delivered the order on the ground that the upazila chairpersons are the representatives elected by the people and therefore, they need to be given proper security and dignity under the relevant provisions of law and constitution.

Meanwhile, Additional Attorney General Mohammad Mehedi Hassan Chowdhury told this correspondent that the HC bench on September 7 had passed an order for providing security to the upazila chairmen like that of the UNOs and displaying signboards in upazila parishad areas.

The written copy of the HC order and rule was not released yet, he said, adding that an appeal would be moved before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the HC directive if the government instructed him to do so.

Earlier on September 14, another HC bench directed the government to instruct the UNOs to provide assistance and necessary advice to the respective upazila parishad chairpersons across the country in exercising their (chairpersons) executive powers.

The court ordered the authorities concerned to issue a notification so that the UNOs act in line with a circular issued on June 17, 2010, to this effect.

According to the circular issued by the ministry of local government, rural development and cooperatives, UNOs will provide assistance and necessary advice to the respective upazila parishad chairpersons in exercising their executive powers.

The UNOs will place all proposals of Parishad's money expenditures and administrative decisions before the chairpersons. If the UNO is empowered by the Upazila Parishad, he or she (UNO) will exercise its executive powers, according to 2010 circular.

The circular also said that UNOs will provide secretarial assistance to the Uapzila Parishad and will attend their meetings and also those of their standing committees' if it is deemed necessary to participate in discussions as official responsibilities, but they (UNOs) cannot exercise any voting rights.