AN English daily reported that elected local government representatives belonging to opposition are in fear as many have either been put in jail or have had to go into hiding (fearing arrest) with many of them having cases filed against them on various charges, including ‘instigation of anti-government and subversive activities’. Many go into hiding to avoid arrest or harassment whenever an anti-government movement builds up. They made allegations that Police and ruling party men file cases against them if clashes occur between opposition and ruling party activists or law enforcers, or there are incidents of vandalism to enforce a strike, according to reports.
Newspaper reports show that around half of the elected representatives in 10 city corporations, 324 municipalities, 488 upazilas and 4,552 unions belong to the opposition political parties. The State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operative, admitted that some local government representatives could not attend their offices as they were facing charges of criminal offence and other cases but denied the harassment caused because of opposing political affiliations. Local government representatives shared that councillors and the mayor of many municipalities attended official meetings of the municipalities secretly. Reports say that the panel mayor of Madhuhati Union under Sadar upazila in Jhenaidah district, said that their elected chairman, belonging to opposition, had been on the run since he was suspended in August last year, along with 85 other union council chairmen who were suspended in two phases in June and August last year for their alleged involvement in violent anti-government protests.
A woman vice-chairman was discharging the chairman’s duty as the elected chairman was in prison. The government also suspended Sylhet city mayor, also a BNP leader, after a court in Habiganj framed charge against him in the Shah AMS Kibria murder case.
The Secretary General of Municipal Association of Bangladesh believes that the government had been prosecuting a number of opposition-backed local government representatives out of ‘political vengeance’ abusing some sections of local government rules. He opined that by punishing the opposition’s elected representatives, the government is actually punishing the people and depriving them of services.
What the government is forgetting is that confrontation at every levels cannot be helpful for peace and order.
