Delay in Oath-Taking
Councillors-elect enforce hartal
An eight-hour hartal, enforced by the councillors-elect of the municipality protesting the delay in oath-taking ceremony, passed off peacefully in the town yesterday.
No oath was administrated although the municipality election was held two years ago.
The councillors observed the shutdown from 6:00am, demanding immediate arrangement of their oaths.
Motorised vehicles were off the roads while no long-distance bus entered or left the town during the hartal.
Pro-hartal activists picketed at different points including Ali Zahan and Hasemia madrasa areas in the town since morning.
Business establishments also remained closed until the hartal ended at 2:00pm.
Helal Uddin Kabir, an elected councillor of ward no 9, said that they were compelled to enforce the hartal as the delay in oath taking was tarnishing their social images.
"We are yet to take the oath due to legal complications and conspiracy of a section of people in the townâ€, he added.
Acting municipality mayor Raj Bihari Das said, enforcing hartal is not the right way to press for the demand as the matter was lying with court now.
On January 27, 2011, Cox's Bazar municipality election was held. The elected mayor and councillors of the municipality could not take oath due to filing of cases by local people against some of the winners.
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