Upazila chairmen threaten to resign en masse

Bangladesh Upazila Parishad Association has demanded exemplary punishment of Cumilla-4 lawmaker Razee Mohammad Fakhrul for allegedly beating up Debidwar upazila parishad chairman Abul Kalam Azad.

The association members said all the upazila chairmen and vice chairmen of the country would resign en masse if the lawmaker is not punished.

The upazila parishad association’s president Harun-or-Rashid said this at a press conference in Dhaka Reporters Unity on Sunday. The association organised the press briefing demanding justice for the assault on the upazila chairman.

Harun-or-Rashid said this incident has tarnished the image of people’s representatives and politicians.

They demanded exemplary punishment of the lawmaker before the end of the next month.

If the demand was not met within the stipulated time, the association president said, they would hold a series of peaceful demonstrations, including submitting memorandum to the speaker of the national parliament on 2 September, submitting an application to the prime minister on 7 September to take administrative action against the lawmaker.

On 15 September, all the upazila chairmen, vice chairmen and female vice chairmen of the country would hold a rally in Dhaka.

If proper punitive measures were not taken even after all these peaceful programmes, they would resign en masse informing people of their area and prime minister if proper action is not taken, warned the association.

Cumilla-4 constituency lawmaker Razee Mohammad Fakhrul allegedly assaulted the chairman of Debidwar upazila Abul Kalam Azad in a meeting of Debidwar upazila Awami-League (AL) at LD hall in national parliament on 16 July.

Harun-Ur Rashid said the association bitterly condemned the incident as the assault on Abul Kamal defied decency. Terming the incident unprecedented, he claimed Abul Kamal was harassed out of personal vendetta – an incident that embarrassed the government and hurt all elected representatives.

The association’s president said they patiently hoped that Razee Mohammad Fakhrul would accept responsibility and offer unconditional apology. But he is pursuing the opposite track – spreading misinformation over the issue.

He said, they want to resolve the problem politically.

At the end of the press conference, Abul Kalam Azad talked to the newsmen over the phone.

He alleged he was harassed physically by Razee Mohammad at the meeting. AL has called a meeting on today, Sunday, in Dhaka – where both are asked to attend.

He hoped he would get justice in this incident.