Municipal mayor in Sylhet suspended over irregularities 

Sylhet’s Bishwanath municipality mayor Muhibur Rahman has been suspended over allegations of his involvement in irregularities.

A circular signed by Local Government Division Deputy Secretary Abdur Rahman was issued on Thursday (27 June) on his suspension.

The circular lists several reasons for the mayor’s removal, including holding the monthly general meeting of the municipal council at his own residence, failing to convene the City Coordination Committee meeting, not providing copies of the monthly meeting minutes to the councillors, and not properly setting up municipal waste management facilities. 

Moreover, he travelled to the UK on 24 June without obtaining permission from the local government department.

An investigation has found all the allegations against the mayor to be true. Therefore, he has been suspended in accordance with the Local Government (Municipality) Act, 2009.

Muhibur Rahman could not be reached over the phone despite several attempts for comments regarding his suspension.

Mayor Muhibur Rahman has been a topic of discussion at various times for different reasons. In the last national election, he garnered attention again as an independent candidate for the Sylhet-2 seat. He contested in that election without resigning from his position as mayor.

However, in the afternoon of the polling day, he boycotted the vote, citing irregularities and rigging. 

Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury, president of the Sylhet District Awami League, won that election. 

Subsequently, Shafiqur was appointed as the minister of state for the expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry.

A few days after the election, some councillors of Bishwanath municipality accused mayor Muhibur Rahman of irregularities, corruption, and arbitrariness.