Arrest warrant for BNP-backed elected mayor of Comilla

Warrant for arrest of yet another mayor elected from the opposition BNP has been issued and this time it is the newly elected mayor of Comilla City Corporation, Monirul Haque Sakku.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday issued the arrest warrant against Sakku, a BNP leader who was elected CCC mayor with sheaf of paddy symbol beating the ruling Awami League-backed candidate in the election held on 30 March.

The court issued the warrant following a charge-sheet placed by the Anti-Corruption Commission on 4 February this year in a case filed nearly a decade ago.

The court further directed the administration to confiscate his assets.

Senior judge at the Special Dhaka Metropolitan Court Md Kamrul Hossain Molla issued the warrant.

According to the case statement, on 7 January 2008, the ACC's assistant director Shaheen Ara Mamota filed a case against Sakku and his wife for obtaining resources from unidentified sources and hiding information about their wealth.

After eight years, the another assistant director of the ACC, Nurul Huda, submitted a charge-sheet against the Comilla mayor on 4 February.

Monirul Haque Sakku said, "This arrest warrant has been issued as I was not present at the court. I have taken permanent bail from the Supreme Court in the case."

On 30 March, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidate Monirul Haque Sakku won the Comilla mayoral race with a margin of over 11,000 votes, defeating his nearest rival, AL candidate Anjuman Sultana Sima.

Earlier, the elected mayors of Rajshahi City Corporation, Khulna City Corporation, Sylhet City Corporation and Sylhet City Corporation all from the BNP were arrested and suspended from their positions.

However, the higher court stayed the government's orders suspending them.

Source: Prothom Alo