Dhaka – The High court stayed for six months the local government ministry’s order of suspension of Gazipur city corporation mayor professor M.A.Mannan. The High court bench of justice Kamrul Islam Siddiquee and Justice Rajik Al Jalil issued the order on Monday after hearing a writ petition filed by MA Mannan.The court also issued a rule asking six officials of the ministry to clarify as to why the order shall not be declared illegal. They have been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks. Senior lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain participated in the hearing behalf of mayor Mannan while attorney general Mahbube Alam and deputy attorney general Mukhlesur Rahman participated in the hearing on behalf of the state.
The LGRD ministry suspended Mannan on August 19 in the last year after a court had accepted charge-sheet pressed by Joydebpur police in a criminal case against him.Later, mayor Mannan filed a petition against his suspension order in the High court . After hearing , the court passed stay order for six months on Monday.
Professor M.A.Mannan who is an advisor to BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was
arrested from his Baridhara residence in the capital on February 11 in the last year in a petrol bomb attack case on a passenger bus at Gazipur city on February 04. Later, he was shown arrest of total 22 different cases. He was released from jail on March 02 after got bail from High court of all cases.
Panel mayor and Awami League leader Asadur Rahman Kiron is serving as an acting mayor since Mannan’s arrest.
Md Abu Hanif, lawyer of the mayor, told that there is no bar now on his client to continue as the mayor following the court order. – Saff Reporter
Unb news agency reported: Six people, including the secretary for Local Government and Rural Development Ministry and Gazipur deputy commissioner, were made respondents to the rule.
Khandaker Mahbub Hossain stood for the petitioner while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state.
On August 19, 2015, the government suspended Gazipur City Corporation Mayor MA Mannan as he had been charged with criminal offences.
Later, MA Mannan filed a writ petition challenging the government order on March 31, 2016.
