BNP slams warrant for Comilla mayor’s arrest
Voicing the party’s resentment over the issuance of a warrant for the arrest of newly elected Comilla city Mayor Monirul Haque Sakku in a graft case, BNP on Wednesday questioned the legal basis of the court order.
In a statement, party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said ‘The (graft) case against Sakku is fully politically motivated one. The High Court has granted Sakku bail until the case is disposed of. It’s not understandable how the lower court can issue the arrest warrant after that. We’re aggrieved over the court order.’
Earlier on Tuesday, a Dhaka court issued a warrant for the arrest of Sakku in a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The court also ordered officer-in-charge of Ramna Police Station to submit a report on May 9 on his arrest, reports UNB.
Earlier on May 7, 2008, Shahin Ara Mamtaz, assistant director of ACC, filed a case against Sakku and his wife Afroza Jesmin for concealing information of wealth worth TK 12.50 crore and amassing wealth of Tk 4.57 crore illegally.
Fakhrul demanded the government withdraw the case failed against Sakku and ensure his legal right to take charge of the Comilla city mayor.
Sakku re-elected mayor by defeating the ruling party mayoral runner in Comilla city polls held on March 30 last.
The BNP secretary general alleged that the government has been suspending BNP-backed elected mayors in false cases and implicating them with fresh false cases only for political reasons.
Mentioning that the government suspended the BNP-supported elected mayors of Sylhet, Rajshahi, Khulna and Gazipur cities and jailed them in ‘false’ cases, Fakhrul said, ‘The same way Sakku is being harassed. We strongly protest and condemn it.’