A union parishad (UP) chairman in the southern district of Bhola has ordered local hairdressers to only give ‘military’ or ‘sunnati’ haircuts.
Nazim Uddin, chairman of Charfesson upazila's Jahanpur union, even issued a directive warning of legal actions for offenders.
“I spoke to the local Muslims before issuing the notice. But now I am unsure if I was in the right or wrong,” he said.
Meanwhile, the chairman's son, Tushar, has been accused of beating up a local teenager for protesting the haircut directive.
When asked about the issue, Nazim said his son just “had an argument” with the teen, adding that the issue has been resolved.
The chairman’s directives, which are in violation of articles 31 and 32 of the constitution, have irked the locals as well as netizens.
Charfesson upazila administration chief (UNO) Noman Rahul said a UP chairman does not have the right to issue such instructions. Nazim has undermined the freedom of individuals, he added.