Comilla Mayor Sakku faces arrest

A Dhaka court has issued an arrest warrant against BNP-backed Comilla City Corporation Mayor Monirul Haque Sakku in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission for hiding wealth information and amassing wealth illegally. Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Kamrul Hossain Molla issued the warrant Tuesday after taking the charges into cognisance. The court also ordered the OC of Ramna police to submit a report on May 9 regarding the execution of the arrest warrant. Sakku won the second consecutive elections to the city corporation last month defeating ruling Awami League-backed contender Anjum Sultana Shima. On January 7, 2008, ACC Assistant Director Shahin Ara Mamotaz filed the case against Sakku and his wife Afroza Jasmine for hiding information of wealth worth Tk1.12 crore and amassing wealth worth over Tk4.5 crore illegally. On February 4, 2016, Assistant Director Nurul Huda, also the investigation officer, pressed charges against Sakku and dropped his wife's name. EC Secretariat member Mohammad Abdullah told the Dhaka Tribune that an arrest warrant against Sakku would not restrict publication of the gazette declaring the mayoralty of the Comilla City Corporation. He added that the gazette will be printed on Tuesday, having been delayed by the allegations against Sakku.