BD suspends 42 public reps

Corona relief scam

TALHA BIN HABIB | Published: May 04, 2020 23:00:19

The government has suspended 42 public representatives for their complicity in relief misappropriation amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to an official.
Seventeen chairmen and 23 members of different union councils, one district council member and one municipal member are among those suspended.
They have been punished under section 34 (1) of the Local Government (Union Council) Act-2009 and section 31 (1) of the Local Government (Municipality) Act-2009.
The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives started coming down heavily against the embezzlers who are involved in misappropriating relief materials following the Prime Minister's strong directives.
Bangladesh has been under lockdown since April 26 to keep people indoors with the intent to check further spread of the superbug.
The poorer segment of society is the hardest hit by the ongoing lockdown and rounds of general holidays as the virus has put their livelihoods at stake.
Weeks ago, the government started to distribute relief materials to the needy and distressed people during the Covid-19 disease.
But a section of unscrupulous public representatives have indulged in misappropriating relief materials by depriving those really deserve the stuff.
The incidents of misappropriation of relief materials have prompted the government to take stern action against chairmen, members and councillors.
The government deems it unwise to allow the suspended public representatives to continue with their jobs, a high official of the ministry told the FE on Monday.
Earlier, LGRD and cooperatives minister Md Tajul Islam asked all officials concerned, including police, to gear up their efforts to check misappropriation of relief supplies.
He warned stern action against chairmen, members and councillors if they involve with the misappropriation of relief materials allocated for the poor.
The sacked representatives include ward councillor Raju Ahmed of Charghat municipality in Rajshahi, Monpura union chairman Amanat Ullah Alamgir under Monpura upazila in Bhola and Mankon union reserved-seat woman member Nazmin Akter Lovely in Muktaghacha, Mymensingh.
Others are Niamatpur union chairman Makhdum Kabir Tonmoy under Karimganj upazila in Kishoreganj, Arjunpur Baramhati union chairman Abdus Sattar under Lalpur upazila in Natore and Majihotto union chairman Mirza Golam Hafiz Sohag under Shibganj upazila in Bogura.
The suspended union council members are Arjunpur Baramhati union member Reza under Lalpur upazila in Natore, Kedurpur union member Jakir Hossain under Babuganj upazila in Barisal and Hajirhat union member Abdur Rab Patwary under Monpura upazila in Bhola.
Others are Joynagar union member Sheikh Mosharraf Hossain under Kalia upazila in Narail and reserved-seat woman member Roni Begum of the same union, Khaskaulia union member Rafiqul Islam under Chouhali upazila in Sirajganj, Bagbati union member Al Amin Chowdhury under Sadar upazila in Sirajganj and reserved-seat woman member Ashia Khatun of the same union.
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