UP chairman suspended over providing birth certificates to Rohingya women in Cumilla
According to the letter, it was proved during an investigation that Taher had issued birth certificates to two Rohingya women and showed negligence in carrying out his duties
The Local Government Division has suspended Cumilla's Cheora union chairman Md Abu Taher after it found proof of his alleged involvement in providing birth certificates to two Rohingya women.
Md Jamal Hossain, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Chauddagram in Cumilla, confirmed the matter today (2 May).
The suspension order was given through a letter signed by Touhid Elahi, senior assistant secretary of Upazila-1 Section under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, said the UNO.
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According to the letter, it was proved during an investigation that Taher had issued birth certificates to two Rohingya women and showed negligence in carrying out his duties.
According to sources, two Rohingya women named Humaira and Sharmin were detained at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka while they were departing for Vietnam on 11 June 2024.
On 15 June 2024, Imam Hossain, sub-inspector at the office of Cumilla's superintendent of police, lodged a case with Chauddagram Police Station against the two Rohingya women.
On 27 June 2024, police arrested the two Rohingya women and sent them to prison through the court.
Later, it was revealed that the two women had collected two birth certificates by showing one Kazi Khabir Uddin as their father and tried to leave the country for Vietnam after creating fake national identity cards and passports, sources said.
Speaking to The Business Standard, Taher said, "I replied to a show cause notice issued by the registrar general of the birth certificate section. Besides, the Office of the Superintendent of Police of Cumilla had lodged a case against Kazi Khabir Uddin, the fake father mentioned by the Rohingya women in their birth certificates."
"Police had presented a charge sheet to the court after accusing Khabir in the case and made me a witness. Still, I have been suspended," Taher added.
