Cleaners won't clear garbage until cases against mayor withdrawn

The cleaners of Barishal City Corporation (BCC) have formed a human chain on Saturday demanding the withdrawal of cases lodged against the suspected attackers, including the Barishal City Corporation mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, on the residence of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Barisal sadar.

At the event, they announced that they will not clear the garbage of the city until the cases are withdrawn. The officials and employees of the city corporation came up with this demand on Saturday evening in front of Aswini Kumar Hall of Barishal city.

Teachers and students of Barishal University formed a human chain at the university premises with the same demand.

Earlier, on Wednesday, clashes broke out between the leaders and activists of Awami League and the party's student wing Chhatra League and members of Ansar and police over a dispute regarding removing posters.

Munibur Rahman, UNO of Barishal sadar upazila, alleged that, “There were some posters of state minister for water resources, Col. (Retd.) Zaheed Farooque on the upazila parishad premises. On Wednesday, some leaders and activists of Chhatra League came at night to remove the posters, but were asked to come in the morning as people were sleeping at the time. They insulted me for this reason. They threw bricks and vandalised my house.”

Two cases were lodged over this incident. In both of the cases, Barishal City Corporation mayor Sadiq Abdullah has been made the prime accused. The other accused are members and activists of Awami League and Chhatra League.

Protesting against the cases, officials and employees of the city corporation have been observing work abstention since Thursday. The cleaners also refrained from removing trash from the city for three straight days.

At the human chain, assistant officers of BCC’s cleaning department Rezaul Karim and Shariful Azam said, Ansar personnel opened fire at them on Wednesday night while they were cleaning the sadar upazila premises.

“Many cleaners have been accused in the cases over the incident, with the mayor Sadiq Abdullah as the prime accused. They are afraid of being arrested,” they added.

These two officials further added that cleaners will not join their work until the cases are withdrawn.