The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today stayed for six weeks a High Court order that halted the government decision of suspending Dinajpur municipality mayor Syed Jahangir Alam, who served jail under an apex court order for committing contempt of court.
The Appellate Division also asked the government to file a leave to appeal petition with this court against the HC order.
The apex court order means that Jahangir cannot function as mayor of Dinajpur municipality.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order following a petition filed by the government seeking stay on the HC order.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin appeared for the government while lawyer Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal argued for Jahangir.
On November 21, the HC stayed for a month the suspension of Jahangir Alam and also issued a rule asking the government to explain why the suspension from the post of Dinajpur municipality mayor should not be declared illegal.
The bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah issued the order and rule following a writ petition filed by Jahangir challenging the suspension order.
The local government, rural development and cooperatives ministry on October 31 suspended Jahangir from the post of Dinajpur municipality mayor after he was sentenced to one month’s jail on October 12 by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for committing contempt of court.
On October 12, the SC fined him Tk 1 lakh for making derogatory remarks against one of its judges.
The SC also ordered Jahangir to surrender before the lower court concerned of Dinajpur in a week in connection with the contempt of court petition filed against him.
Earlier, Jahangir commented on a YouTube channel about Justice M Enayetur Rahim, a senior judge of the Appellate Division, centring a judgement in a case against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
