nominations of 83 cancelled

It�s disturbing

Mayoral candidates� criminal records cause worry

Several mayoral candidates in the upcoming municipality elections, scheduled for December 30, are accused in different criminal cases, including murder, women and child repression, and explosives cases. When it is so important for the people’s representatives to have a clean image and impeccable credentials, the fact that so many candidates have been charged in criminal cases is no less than alarming. At least six mayoral candidates in 250 municipalities have been accused of murder, while two have been charged with repression of women and children. And that is only the tip of the iceberg. There are scores of candidates who have been charged under different criminal cases, including cheating.
Again, there are some mayoral candidates whose educational qualifications are virtually nil: they are self-educated or have no institutional education, or have somehow scraped through at the secondary level. Nevertheless, there is a wide variety of mayoral candidates in the municipality polls, ranging from school-teachers to contractors. While several mayoral candidates are bran and jute sellers, others trade in rods and cement, and some own medical pharmacies and chicken farms.
This information was gleaned from the affidavits of the mayoral candidates uploaded on the Election Commission’s website. Information relating to 250 mayoral candidates of a total of 1,223 was posted yesterday. Mayoral candidate Obaidur Rahman Chowdhury, who is contesting from Chuadanga Sadar municipality, is accused in a murder case. Besides, he has been charged in five other criminal cases under different sections of the penal code.
Obaidur Chowdhury, who  has educational qualifications at the higher secondary level, had three other criminal cases against him in the past; these cases have been disposed of.  Another mayoral candidate, Morshedul Amin from Chowmuhuni municipality under Noakhali district, is accused under Section 302 (i.e., in a murder case).
Mohammad Jahir Uddin, another mayoral candidate from Chowmuhuni municipality, is also an accused in a murder case in addition to other criminal cases against him. These include cases under the Special Powers Act.
Muhammad Mosharraf Hossain, a mayoral candidate of Basurhat municipality under Noakhali district, has 23 cases against him, including a couple of murder cases, and cases under the Explosives Act.
Abdul Sukur Sheikh, a mayoral candidate of Boalmari municipality under Faridpur district, who was accused in a murder case in the past, has been released. HSC-passed mayoral candidate Shahidul Islam Khan is accused in a murder case, apart from another criminal case. Takjil Khalifa was accused in seven criminal cases, but has been released in all cases in the past.
Ashraf Ali, a teacher at a Mahila Madrasa in Manikganj, is a candidate at Singair municipality in Manikganj district. A case under the Special Powers Act has been lodged against him.
AFM Azizul Islam, a mayoral candidate of Nandail municipality under Mymensingh, is an accused under the Women and Children Repression (Amendment) Act, 2000. Besides, he is accused in three other criminal cases and is currently out on bail. He was also accused in a criminal case under Sections 143/323/379/114 of the Penal Code, but has been released from the case.
Rafique Uddin Bhuiyan, a mayoral candidate of Nandail municipality, had three criminal cases against him—including a case under the Women and Children Repression Act—but the cases were disposed of in 2003. He runs a business in fish and chicken feed.
Saiful Islam Chowdhury has a criminal case under Section 500 of the penal code against him. He had eight cases against him in the past, but has been released in all these cases.
Azad Uddin Chowdhury, a candidate of Ramgati municipality in Lakshmipur district, is an accused in eight criminal cases. He had 66 criminal cases against him in the past, but has been released in all the past cases.
Self-educated Alhaj Sahed Ali Putu has no case at present, but had five criminal cases, including a case of cheating, against him; he has been released in all the cases.  Laxmipur Ramgati mayoral candidate M Mejbah Uddin was involved in two criminal cases in the past; though he has been released in one of these cases, the other is continuing. ABM Zilani, a candidate of Raipur under Laxmipur, had three cases against himself in the past.  Abdus Salam of Kazipur municipality under Sirajganj district is currently involved in three criminal cases; he was accused in three other criminal cases, but was released.
Self-educated Faruk Ahmad, a candidate of Zakiganj municipality, is charged in two criminal cases, which are sub judice. He was accused in four cases, but these have been disposed of.
Badrul Haque of Zakiganj municipality has one criminal case against himself, which is sub judice.
Saheb Ali, a candidate of Chunarughat municipality under Habiganj district, has two criminal cases against himself under the Special Powers Act, 1974.
The educational qualifications of several candidates—or, rather, the lack of these—are a cause for concern for many. Sukur Sheikh, a bran businessman who also owns a brick kiln ‘Raj Bricks’, does not possess any institutional academic qualification.
Mojaffar Hossain Mia, a candidate of the Boalmari municipality polls, has mentioned in his affidavit that he failed the SSC examinations in 1980.
Liton Mridha, a candidate of Boalmari municipality, is self-educated and runs a bran and jute business. Altaf Hossain is a businessman of sanitary ware and hardware, who is in the fray in Betagi municipality in Barguna.  Self-educated Kamaruzzaman Milon is a candidate at Betagi upazila, while assistant teacher Jahangir Alam Lavlu is also contesting from the same municipality.
Self-educated Abdul Mannan Howladar, a businessman who owns a chicken farm, is contesting from Ujirpur of Barisal district while pharmacy shop owner Md Moniruzzaman is a mayoral candidate from Ujirpur municipality.
Azizul Islam, has declared that he has no business at present, yet possesses Tk. 37 lakh in cash. Stationery shop owner Syed Mashiur Rahman, a candidate from Akhaura in Brahmanbaria district, has studied only till Class VIII.
Meanwhile, the nomination papers of at least 117 mayoral candidates, including three of Awami League and 14 of BNP, in different municipalities across the country were cancelled during the two-day scrutiny beginning on Saturday.
Besides, two Awami League mayoral candidates of the December-30 polls in Chandpur and Feni are set to be elected unopposed as nomination papers of their lone rival BNP contestants were cancelled during the first-day scrutiny. If the Appellate Authorities, the Deputy Commissioners of the districts, uphold the decisions of the returning officers, the Election Commission will have to declare the two ruling party mayoral aspirants elected uncontested after the December-13 deadline for the withdrawal of candidatures.

nominations of 83 cancelled

It�s disturbing

Mayoral candidates� criminal records cause worry

Several mayoral candidates in the upcoming municipality elections, scheduled for December 30, are accused in different criminal cases, including murder, women and child repression, and explosives cases. When it is so important for the peoples representatives to have a clean image and impeccable credentials, the fact that so many candidates have been charged in criminal cases is no less than alarming. At least six mayoral candidates in 250 municipalities have been accused of murder, while two have been charged with repression of women and children. And that is only the tip of the iceberg. There are scores of candidates who have been charged under different criminal cases, including cheating. Again, there are some mayoral candidates whose educational qualifications are virtually nil: they are self-educated or have no institutional education, or have somehow scraped through at the secondary level. Nevertheless, there is a wide variety of mayoral candidates in the municipality polls, ranging from school-teachers to contractors. While several mayoral candidates are bran and jute sellers, others trade in rods and cement, and some own medical pharmacies and chicken farms. This information was gleaned from the affidavits of the mayoral candidates uploaded on the Election Commissions website. Information relating to 250 mayoral candidates of a total of 1,223 was posted yesterday. Mayoral candidate Obaidur Rahman Chowdhury, who is contesting from Chuadanga Sadar municipality, is accused in a murder case. Besides, he has been charged in five other criminal cases under different sections of the penal code. Obaidur Chowdhury, who has educational qualifications at the higher secondary level, had three other criminal cases against him in the past; these cases have been disposed of. Another mayoral candidate, Morshedul Amin from Chowmuhuni municipality under Noakhali district, is accused under Section 302 (i.e., in a murder case). Mohammad Jahir Uddin, another mayoral candidate from Chowmuhuni municipality, is also an accused in a murder case in addition to other criminal cases against him. These include cases under the Special Powers Act. Muhammad Mosharraf Hossain, a mayoral candidate of Basurhat municipality under Noakhali district, has 23 cases against him, including a couple of murder cases, and cases under the Explosives Act. Abdul Sukur Sheikh, a mayoral candidate of Boalmari municipality under Faridpur district, who was accused in a murder case in the past, has been released. HSC-passed mayoral candidate Shahidul Islam Khan is accused in a murder case, apart from another criminal case. Takjil Khalifa was accused in seven criminal cases, but has been released in all cases in the past. Ashraf Ali, a teacher at a Mahila Madrasa in Manikganj, is a candidate at Singair municipality in Manikganj district. A case under the Special Powers Act has been lodged against him. AFM Azizul Islam, a mayoral candidate of Nandail municipality under Mymensingh, is an accused under the Women and Children Repression (Amendment) Act, 2000. Besides, he is accused in three other criminal cases and is currently out on bail. He was also accused in a criminal case under Sections 143/323/379/114 of the Penal Code, but has been released from the case. Rafique Uddin Bhuiyan, a mayoral candidate of Nandail municipality, had three criminal cases against himincluding a case under the Women and Children Repression Actbut the cases were disposed of in 2003. He runs a business in fish and chicken feed. Saiful Islam Chowdhury has a criminal case under Section 500 of the penal code against him. He had eight cases against him in the past, but has been released in all these cases. Azad Uddin Chowdhury, a candidate of Ramgati municipality in Lakshmipur district, is an accused in eight criminal cases. He had 66 criminal cases against him in the past, but has been released in all the past cases. Self-educated Alhaj Sahed Ali Putu has no case at present, but had five criminal cases, including a case of cheating, against him; he has been released in all the cases. Laxmipur Ramgati mayoral candidate M Mejbah Uddin was involved in two criminal cases in the past; though he has been released in one of these cases, the other is continuing. ABM Zilani, a candidate of Raipur under Laxmipur, had three cases against himself in the past. Abdus Salam of Kazipur municipality under Sirajganj district is currently involved in three criminal cases; he was accused in three other criminal cases, but was released. Self-educated Faruk Ahmad, a candidate of Zakiganj municipality, is charged in two criminal cases, which are sub judice. He was accused in four cases, but these have been disposed of. Badrul Haque of Zakiganj municipality has one criminal case against himself, which is sub judice. Saheb Ali, a candidate of Chunarughat municipality under Habiganj district, has two criminal cases against himself under the Special Powers Act, 1974. The educational qualifications of several candidatesor, rather, the lack of theseare a cause for concern for many. Sukur Sheikh, a bran businessman who also owns a brick kiln Raj Bricks, does not possess any institutional academic qualification. Mojaffar Hossain Mia, a candidate of the Boalmari municipality polls, has mentioned in his affidavit that he failed the SSC examinations in 1980. Liton Mridha, a candidate of Boalmari municipality, is self-educated and runs a bran and jute business. Altaf Hossain is a businessman of sanitary ware and hardware, who is in the fray in Betagi municipality in Barguna. Self-educated Kamaruzzaman Milon is a candidate at Betagi upazila, while assistant teacher Jahangir Alam Lavlu is also contesting from the same municipality. Self-educated Abdul Mannan Howladar, a businessman who owns a chicken farm, is contesting from Ujirpur of Barisal district while pharmacy shop owner Md Moniruzzaman is a mayoral candidate from Ujirpur municipality. Azizul Islam, has declared that he has no business at present, yet possesses Tk. 37 lakh in cash. Stationery shop owner Syed Mashiur Rahman, a candidate from Akhaura in Brahmanbaria district, has studied only till Class VIII. Meanwhile, the nomination papers of at least 117 mayoral candidates, including three of Awami League and 14 of BNP, in different municipalities across the country were cancelled during the two-day scrutiny beginning on Saturday. Besides, two Awami League mayoral candidates of the December-30 polls in Chandpur and Feni are set to be elected unopposed as nomination papers of their lone rival BNP contestants were cancelled during the first-day scrutiny. If the Appellate Authorities, the Deputy Commissioners of the districts, uphold the decisions of the returning officers, the Election Commission will have to declare the two ruling party mayoral aspirants elected uncontested after the December-13 deadline for the withdrawal of candidatures.