LGRD ministry suspends Bera Municipality Mayor

The LGRD ministry today temporarily suspended Bera Municipality Mayor Abdul Baten for assaulting the UNO Asif Anam Siddiquee during a meeting at the latter's office on Monday.

LGRD ministry issued a circular today in this regard.

"According to the report of Pabna deputy commissioner, your [Bera municipality mayor] indecent and illegal activities were tantamount to misconduct and therefore it was necessary to take actions against you," said the circular.

The decision will be effective immediately, reads the circular.

Abdul Baten allegedly misbehaved with the Bera UNO during a meeting at the latter's office on Monday over endorsing a proposal placed by the mayor, reports our correspondent.

In the upazila law and order development coordination meeting, the mayor wanted the UNO to give the go-ahead to his proposal.

Baten proposed that the income from leasing of Nagarbari ghat and Kazirhat ghat, both in Bera upazila, should go to the upazila parishad fund for its development, said meeting sources.

As the upazila nirbahi officer refused to comply, the mayor hurled abuses at him.

Baten then walked towards the UNO and pushing and shoving ensued, they added.

Currently, the lease income goes to government's revenue account.

Speaking to The Daily Star, UNO Asif said the mayor's proposal did not comply with the government rules. "As I tried to explain the matter, the mayor pressed me to stop talking."

Mayor Baten, also the brother of Pabna-1 lawmaker Samsul Haque Tuku, said Nagarbari and Kazirhat ghats are "properties of the local area".

"As the representatives of the people, we have responsibilities for the area. There are two large ghats in Bera upazila -- Nagarbari and Kazirhat ghat."

"The local administration has been leasing out the ghats for years, but the upazila parishad does not get any fund from the lease money." the mayor told this correspondent.

He said he as a representative of the upazila parishad at the meeting proposed that the administration should give the lease income to the upazila parishad for its development.

"As they disagreed with my proposal, I boycotted the meeting," he said.

The mayor, however, denied the allegation of misbehaving with the UNO and other officials.

READ MORE: Bera mayor 'misbehaves' with UNO