Around 30 thousand people suffer at Keshabpur Union in Patuakhali’s Bauphal upazila as Union Parishad activities have stalled for many days after the death of late UP Chairman Saleh Uddik Piku.
Union Parishad (UP) sources said that the former Keshabpur UP Chairman Saleh Uddin Piku died on August 14.
Since then, the vital post has remained vacant disrupting critical activities of the UP office, including development of rural infrastructure, conservation and maintenance, health, family planning-related activities, family dispute resolution, women and child welfare, and birth-death registration.
To end the deadlock, all the members of the UP on August 29 voted Ward 9 UP member Md Shahjahan Gazi as the panel chairman-1, Ward 1 UP member Saiful Islam as the panel chairman-2 and ward-1-2-3 reserved female member Shirin Akter as the panel chairman-3.
On September 20, senior additional secretary of the local government department Jesmin approved the voting but the district judge court suspended the panel election following the appeal of Ward-5 UP member Shahidul Islam to suspend the result.
Local resident Mohsin master said that he urgently need the birth registration certificate of his son to enroll him at a school but he have to wait as the UP activities has remained suspended for long.
Another local resident Tuhin Akon said that he can’t do land register as he couldn’t manage death certificate of his father.
Voripasa government primary school teacher Md Atik Foysal said that around 30 thousand local residents suffer as the key UP activities has remained suspended for long.
It need to be resolved soon, he demanded.
UP member Md Shahjahan Gazi said, “I was elected as the panel chairman by the all UP members and re-activate UP activities. But a UP member claimed him as the chairman in auauthorised way.”
Bangladesh Post tried to connect with the accused UP member Shahidul Islam but he didn’t pick up the phone call after several attempt.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Bashir Gazi said that a panel chairmen elected after voting of the UP members. Local government also approved the voting result but later suspended following the appeal of a UP member.”
“Legal actions are being taken to solve this complexity,” he added.