-In 4571 UP, more than 3K UP chair absconding
-People’s in trouble as service disrupted
-Election system should be properly implemented at all levels from national to local government. These institutions should be kept free from party control.
Adviser AF Hasan Arif
Since the change of government, most of the Union Parishad (UP) chairmen of the country are in hiding. As a result, common people are deprived of services. At present there are 4 thousand 571 Union Parishads in the country. Among them, more than three thousand UP chairmen are in hiding. In such a situation, the present government is taking initiatives to remove the absconding chairmen. A draft resolution to remove UP chairmen across the country is likely to be taken up for approval in the next advisory council meeting.
However, after the fall of the previous government, only 15 days after removing the mayor, district and upazila chairmen of the City Corporation and municipality, administrators were appointed there. In 2021, Nurul Huda Commission completed 4 thousand 501 Union Parishad elections. And after announcing the schedule of 195 Union Parishad elections, the Election Commission postponed the election on July 24 in the face of anti-discrimination student movement.
This information is known from sources related to the local government department. According to the relevant sources, the chairman and membership of the Union Parishad will become vacant if he resigns according to the law. Besides, if the post of chairman becomes vacant due to resignation, death or other reasons, the chairman of the panel will serve until the new chairman takes over. However, the government can suspend the chairman temporarily if the accused or accused in the criminal case or acts against the interest of the council.
Besides, they have the opportunity to be removed according to the Union Parishad Act due to any crime related to corruption, misconduct or moral lapse or leaving the country without permission. According to sources, although the Union Parishad building is open, elected public representatives are not going to the council in many places. And the locks are being hung in the union councils where there is a chairman supported by Awami League. Recently, students locked the rooms of five union parishad chairmen in Domar, Nilphamari.
In several districts across the country, marches and encirclement programs are also underway demanding the resignation of the Union Parishad Chairman. Sources also said that a college student was shot dead in Sohagpara area of Mirzapur, Tangail on August 4 during the student movement. Five UP chairman of Mirzapur has been accused in the murder case. Since then those chairmen went into hiding.
They are working from a secret place without going to the Union Parishad. Moreover, due to the absconding of Kawakola Union Parishad Chairman No 8 of Sirajganj Sadar Upazila, the normal activities of the Union Parishad are being disrupted. Six chairmen of the upazila are on the run after a case was filed against the local students and crowd during the agitation in the Shaistaganj new bridge area of Habiganj.
All the chairmen of 11 unions of Bajitpur in Kishoreganj are absconding as accused in the case. After the ouster of the previous government, a case was filed against the chairmen of Bajitpur. Because of this, some of the chairmen are absconding; some are in the area but are not working. Barisal's Agailjhara five union chairmen are all absconding. Chairman of 13 Union Parishads fled to Shahjadpur of Sirajganj.
RAB has arrested Kalaruka UP Chairman of Sunamganj's Chatak. Three union council chairmen are hiding in Ghoraghat of Dinajpur. Meanwhile, in this regard, former local government secretary Abu Alam Md Shahid Khan said that there have been elections for several years, about which there are many questions in people's minds. People are now showing anger after the change of government. People want to remove them. It is the responsibility of the present government to implement it.
On the other hand, the Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperative Adviser AF Hasan Arif said in an event that the election system should be properly implemented at all levels from national to local government. These institutions should be kept free from party control. Local government institutions face various problems in providing the necessary services to the local people due to lack of proper authority, manpower, financial capacity and management. This problem is especially evident in the Union Parishad.
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