Stalemate at Sylhet City Corporation's activities

The councillors of Awami League (AL) locked the rooms of Chief Executive Officer Enamul Habib, Acting Chief Engineer Nur Azizur Rahman and Chief Accountant ANM Mansuf on Monday in protest of taking various projects avoiding them. Since then the officials have not been attending the office, causing a huge suffering to people. Rubel Ahmed, who came from Madina Market area to get a trade license for his relative, had to return home without the license, as it required the signature of the chief executive officer. Several other people also expressed their resentments, as they did not get any service from the city corporation due to the current stalemate. Top four leaders of Sylhet city and the district Awami League held a meeting over the issue with the councillors at Zila Parishad auditorium on Tuesday night. Councillor Mokhlisur Rahman Kamran said the leaders requested the councillors at the meeting not to give any agitation programme until the national council of the party ends. Responding to their request positively, the councillors handed over the keys of the locked rooms to the leaders, said Kamran. “Though the rooms will be unlocked, we requested the three officials not to attend the office till that time,” Kamran added. Asad Uddin Ahmad, general secretary to Sylhet city Awami League, said they requested the councillors not to give further agitation programme, as they did not want that the SCC activities came to a halt. “The regular office work will continue, but we requested the officials not to come office till October 25,” said Asad. The officials also responded positively, he added. In the meantime, the leaders of Sylhet Awami League would talk to Finance Minister Abul Mal Abdul Muhit to end the stalemate, Asad said. “We will act according to his guideline,” he said. Faruk Mahmud, Sylhet chapter president of Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), a civil society platform working for good governance, said without any discussion with people, locking government officials’ office rooms was a crime. “We hope that as a guardian of Sylhet Muhith will take a good decision in this regard,” said Faruk. The chief executive officer reclined to make any comment on the matter.