No bar on Sylhet mayor to discharge duties: SC

The Supreme Court today upheld a High Court order that stayed the suspension of Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Ariful Haque Choudhury.

A three-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by the Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the “no order” on a petition filed by the government seeking stay on the High Court order.

Ariful’s lawyer Barrister Abdul Halim Kafi told reporters that the HC order staying the suspension of his client will remain in force following the SC order.

There is no legal bar for Ariful Haque Choudhury to discharge duties as mayor of Sylhet City Corporation, he added.

The High Court on March 13 stayed the suspension of Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Ariful Haque Choudhury for the next six months.

The court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned of the government to explain in four weeks why the suspension of Ariful should not be declared illegal.

The HC also directed the authorities not to create any obstruction for Ariful in discharging duties as the SCC mayor following a writ petition filed by Ariful on Sunday challenging the suspension.

Ariful's lawyer Barrister Muhammed Abdul Halim Kafi on the same day said, that the LGRD ministry on January 7, 2015, suspended Ariful after a Sylhet court had accepted a charge sheet against him on December 30, 2014 in former finance minister SAMS Kibria murder case.

Later on January 4 this year, Ariful got an HC bail in this case, he said.

About the HC order, Ariful told the media that the victory belonged to the people.

If the government supports him, he will work for the development of the city as he used to, said Ariful.