Allegations of criminal acts
Khagrachhari mayor suspended again
Khagrachhari municipal mayor Mohammad Joynal Abedin was suspended for the second time yesterday on charges of misappropriation of government fund and criminal activities.
Senior joint secretary of LGRD ministry Md Harun-or-Rashid Biswas suspended him under Section 31 of Local Government (Municipality) Act, 2009.
Using Section 31(2) of the act, the secretary also ordered the mayor to hand over charge to the panel mayor-1 within three days from the date of issuance of the letter.
Earlier, a story was published on this newspaper on January 17, 2009 headlined 'Probe finds them true as 10 of 12 councillors file 'no confidence.'
In the letter, the secretary also mentioned most of the allegations made by 10 of the 12 councilors of Khagrachhari municipality against Mayor Mohammad Joynal Abedin.
On November 6, 2008, the mayor faced 'no confidence' from the 10 councillors, who demanded his removal from the post for his alleged corruption.
The letter further said that Joynal, once serving as the 'bodyguard' of former BNP lawmaker Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan (now convicted in a case), was elected mayor on November 9, 2004 with the help of Bhuiyan.
Within a year he built at least two houses in Chittagong city and at Shantinagor in Khagrachhari town allegedly defalcating a huge amount of money of development organisations through abuse of power.
Joynal is still facing four criminal cases with Khagrachhari District and Sessions Judge's Court, police said.
Mayor Joynal was suspended earlier on September 2, 2007 on charges of criminal acts.
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