Dewanganj mayor suspended for assaulting edu officer

Shahnewaz Shahan Shah, mayor of Dewanganj Municipality has been suspended for assaulting the secondary education officer in Jamalpur district on the Victory Day. A notification was issued in this regard by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives (LGRD) on Monday night.

As a case was filed against mayor Shahnewaz and investigation into the allegations against him has started, the government has suspended him under section 31 (1) of the Local Government Act (Municipality), 2009, the notification said.

The misbehavior with secondary education officer Md Meher Ullah by the mayor is beyond etiquette, tantamount to misconduct, misuse of power and misgovernance and it goes against the public interest, the notification said.

On Monday, suspended mayor Shahnewaz was also expelled from local unit of Awami League over the same incident.

On December 16, Shahnewaz physically assaulted education officer Md Meher Ullah at a Victory Day programme in the upazila.

Md Meher was conducting the programme at Dewanganj Government High School premises. He was calling the names of the officials inviting them to place wreaths in serial.

As the mayor was the eighth in serial he got angry and started abusing Meher verbally. When the officer protested the mayor allegedly slapped him. A case was filed against Shahnewaz in this connection on that day.