Barisal CMM owes the government Tk93,950 in rent

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Md Ali Hossain of Barisal, who sent UNO Gazi Tarique Salman to jail for using an image of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman drawn by a child, has not paid the rent for staying at Barisal Circuit House for eight months. Then Nezarat deputy collector of Barisal District administration Kalyan Chowdhury sent a letter to CMM Ali Hossain asking him to repay his pending dues on August 4, 2016, according to a government document. The document says CMM Ali Hossain had used room number 7 of the Barisal Circuit House from October 27, 2015, to June 28, 2016. Although he paid Tk390 as rent from October 27 to November 1, 2015, he has not paid any rent for the remaining days. According to government policy, the charge for staying at the house for between one to three days is Tk90 per day, while it is Tk120 per day for the next four. If the stay exceeds seven days, the rent is Tk400 for each subsequent day. Considering these rates, the CMM’s dues now stand at Tk93,950. The Dhaka Tribune made several attempts to contact the magistrate, but the phone calls remained unanswered. Barisal district Deputy Commissioner Gazi Md Saifuzzaman said CMM Ali Hossain had stayed in the room in district’s circuit house for eight months, but paid the rent for only five days. “Suddenly we came to know that he had left the Circuit House,” the DC said, adding that the judge did not even notify him before leaving the Circuit House. Although letters were issued to the magistrate asking that he pay the rent, he did not respond positively, the Barisal DC added.