Court Correspondent :
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a High Court order that stopped the government decision suspending Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) Mayor Ariful Huq Chowdhury for the second time. Chamber Judge Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order.
Sylhet mayor’s lawyer Abdul Haque Kwafi told newsmen, that now there is no legal bar for Ariful Huq to take charge of the mayor again following the latest decision of the chamber judge.
Earlier, on Monday (April 3) the High Court stayed the suspension of Sylhet mayor Ariful Huq Chowdhury, a day after the government issued the order.
On March 23, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld another High Court order that stayed the government’s decision suspending Mayor Ariful Huq Chowdhury.
Senior lawyer Barrister Mainul Hosein along with Abdul Haque Kwafi obtained the stay order.
However, the High Court issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the suspension order against the mayor should not be declared illegal and unlawful.
On Sunday, Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Ariful Huq Chowdhury was suspended again hours after he resumed the duty. The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives issued a circular in this regard as he is an accused in a criminal case filed in connection with the killing of former Finance Minister SMA Kibria.
Mayor Ariful filed a writ petition challenging the government’s earlier order of suspension on March 13. The High Court stayed the government order for six months that suspended the mayor showing his complicity in the murder.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said, the government may move separate leave to appeal petitions against the High Court orders after receiving its full texts.
