& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Arrest of ward commissioners, UP chairmen to hamper dev

Arrest of ward commissioners, UP chairmen to hamper dev Local govt body representatives tell adviser

Staff Correspondent
Local government representatives yesterday urged the government not to arrest union parishad (UP) chairmen and ward commissioners of city corporations without specific allegations or cases, saying such arrests will hamper develop ment activities.
'There are many UP chairmen against whom there are no cases, but they were arrested. We urge the government not to make such arrests," said Bangladesh Union Parishad Oikya Jote (BUPOJ) President Mahbubur Rahman during a meeting with Local Government Adviser Anwarul Iqbal at the ministry.
He also urged the government not to arrest or suspend a UP chairman if just a case is filed against him.
'As ward commissioners are directly elected by people, they haw to solw daily problems of the locals. Therefore, we demand the gowrnment does not arrest any commissioner without any specific charge," said Member Secretary of Bangladesh City Corporation
Commissioners' Association Advocate Atiqur Rahman.
Anwarul Iqbal said the home ministry has already clarified that the arrests being made were aimed at improving the law and order situation.
"If there are cases that innocent pimple were arrested or harassed, the government will look into it...if anyone is subjected to harm unjustly, it is the government's responsibility to take care of him," he said.
The adviser said there is a law that a UP chairman will not be arrested if just a case is filed against him, but he will be suspended if the court accepts charge sheet.
In reaction to their demand that the upazila parishad elections should be held in October instead of a rainy July, the adviser said holding election is a matter of the Election Commission and the government will only help holding it.
“We have made other necessary arrangements, however. The upazila parishad law has already been approved in principle by the council of advisers and sent to die law ministry’ for vetting. Promulgating the
ordinance is a matter of time only," said the adviser.
He said the Local Government Commission Ordinance has already been promulgated, and once the commission is formed, the local government bodies will be stronger.
I he problems of manpower and logistics at local government bodies can be solved in consultation with the local government com mission, formation of which is now under process, he said, adding, “You (UP chairmen and ward commissioners) have to play your role properly foryour dignity."
Ward commissioners and UP chairmen said that the government should cancel the provisions of barring teachers from participating in the UP or upazila parishad elections and other local government representatives from taking part in the national elections while holding their posts.
The adviser said, “We don't want a teacher to be a local government representative when he holds the post of a teacher because he then cannot do justice to his two jobs. We
don't want teachers to be corrupt.”
Responding to BUPOJ's demand that 40 percent of the annual development programmes (ADP) should be allocated to the local government institutions, the adviser said the government will allocate money on the basis of the income of the local government bodies.
I Ie said local government representatives do not want to collect tax from the local businesses and people, considering their winning in die elections. “This should stop. One cannot get allocation if he cannot collect revenue."
Stating that the government is trying to strengthen the local government bodies, he said that at the same time the representatives should be more responsible and committed to serve people.
The government has taken up various projects to create employments for die rural women, and to set up separate markets for farmers and weavers where they will direcdy sell their produces.
“It is you who should help diem for greater development of the country," Anwarul Iqbal said.