>Hrksmp at 11:49, 7 December 2021

2021-12-07T11:49:49Z

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{{Short description|Mayor of Sylhet}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honorable#Bangladesh|Honorable Mayor]]
| name = Ariful Haque Choudhury
| native_name = আরিফুল হক চৌধুরী
| honorific-suffix =
| image =
| imagesize =
| smallimage =
| caption = Mayor Ariful Haque Choudhury
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|11|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = Kumarpara, [[Sylhet]], [[East Pakistan]], [[Pakistan]] (now in Bangladesh)
| primeminister = [[Sheikh Hasina]]
| residence = [[Sylhet]]
| order =
| office = 2nd [[Sylhet City Corporation|Mayor of Sylhet]]
| predecessor = [[Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran]]
| term_start = 18 September 2013
| term_end =
| party = [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]]
| nationality = Bangladeshi
| website = [https://scc.gov.bd/আরিফুল-হক-চৌধুরী/ Sylhet city corporation(Bengali)]
| termstart2 =
| successor =
| predecessor2 =
}}

'''Ariful Haque Choudhury''' ({{lang-bn|আরিফুল হক চৌধুরী}}) is a [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]] politician and the current mayor of [[Sylhet]]. Choudhury is also an executive member of [[Bangladesh Nationalist Party]]. In 2003, he was elected as commissioner of [[Sylhet City Corporation]].<ref name="newagebd">{{cite web|url=http://www.newagebd.net/article/12924/sylhet-mayor-resumes-office|website=newagebd.net|title=Sylhet mayor resumes office|accessdate=2018-08-08}}</ref> He become Mayor for consecutive 2 terms since 2013.

== Career ==
Ariful Hoque Choudhury surrendered to joint forces on 25 February 2007 in Sylhet after emergency law was declared in Bangladesh. He was a ward commissioner of Sylhet City Corporation. He was also the chief of development committee of Sylhet City Corporation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2008-03-05|title=Sylhet BNP leader Ariful, wife charge-sheeted by ACC|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-26152|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> On 19 June 2007, Haji Dilar Ahmed, a contractor, sued Choudhury for extorting 1.5 million taka from him over awarding a contract for road construction with Kotwali Police Station.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2007-08-20|title=Charge framed against BNP leader Ariful in extortion case|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-812|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> Anti-Corruption Commission sued Choudhury for accumulating 26.3 million taka in illegal wealth through corruption with Sylhet Police Station on 9 September 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-01-14|title=SC scraps Sylhet mayor Ariful’s acquittal|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/country/sc-scraps-sylhet-mayor-arifuls-acquittal-201796|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref>

Choudhury is a former President of Bangladesh Nationalist Party Sylhet unit.<ref name=":0" /> He and his wife, Shyama Haque Chowdhury, was sued on 5 March 2008 by [[Anti-Corruption Commission (Bangladesh)|Anti-Corruption Commission]]. He was accused of accumulating 25 million taka in illegal wealth through corruption.<ref name=":0" /> On 23 June 2008, he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment over the case.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|date=2016-01-15|title=SC scraps acquittal of Ariful Chy|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/sc-scraps-acquittal-ariful-chy-202180|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> His wife was sentenced to three years imprisonment in the case.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-06-24|title=Sylhet BNP chief Ariful Haque gets 10yrs|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-42602|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref>

On 9 April 2013, Choudhury was acquitted on the corruption case filled by Anti-Corruption Commission.<ref name=":5" />

Choudhury became the mayor of [[Sylhet]] city by defeating [[Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran]] in June 2013. Arif won the election by more than 35,000 votes.<ref name="ntvbd">{{cite web|url=http://en.ntvbd.com/bangladesh/53661/Sylhet-mayor-Arif-joins-office-again|website=en.ntvbd.com|title=Sylhet mayor Arif joins office again|accessdate=2018-08-08}}</ref>

Choudhury was a follower of [[Saifur Rahman (Bangladeshi politician)|Saifur Rahman]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-02-23|title=Third faction in Sylhet BNP|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-24508|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> former [[Minister of Finance (Bangladesh)|Finance Minister of Bangladesh]] and Member of Parliament from [[Sylhet-1]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2021-05-17|title=Sylhet Shishu Park: 15 years spent in naming|url=http://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/districts/sylhet-shishu-park-15-years-spent-naming-246592|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Business Standard|language=en}}</ref> After his win, he completed the Saifur Rahman Shishu Park in Sylhet and sent it for approval to the relevant ministry.<ref name=":1" /> The approval was refused as the Awami League government were not keen to open a park named after a Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader.<ref name=":1" /> He tried to open it under two different names, 'Sylhet Natural Park' and 'Dakshin Surma Park', but was still refused permission by the government.<ref name=":1" /> The government of Bangladesh renamed the park to 'Jananetri Sheikh Hasina Shishu Park' and announced it will be opened soon in 2021.<ref name=":1" />

On 13 November 2014, Bangladesh Police added him to a supplementary charge sheet they filled over the [[Shah A M S Kibria]] murder case from 2005. The new charge sheet also included [[GK Gaus]], Mayor of [[Habiganj]], and [[Harris Chowdhury]], former political secretary to [[Khaleda Zia]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|date=2016-03-27|title=Kibria killing accused Arif gets bail, no bar to release|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/country/kibria-killing-accused-arif-gets-bail-no-bar-release-1200382|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> He was arrested after surrendered to the court on this case on 30 December 2014.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-12-31|title=Sylhet mayor sent to jail|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/sylhet-mayor-sent-to-jail-57775|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref>

On 7 January 2015, Choudhury was suspended by [[Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives]] from his post of mayor after being charged in the [[Shah A M S Kibria]] murder case.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-04-02|title=2 mayors suspended again|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/country/scc-mayor-ariful-suspended-again-1385161|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> He was then sacked from his post.<ref name=":6" />

Choudhury had his acquittal verdict on the corruption charges scrapped by Bangladesh Supreme Court on 15 January 2016.<ref name=":5" /> On 27 March 2016, Choudhury received bail on the Shah A M S Kibria murder case.<ref name=":6" />

Choudhury was released from Sylhet Central Jail after receiving bail from Bangladesh Supreme Court on 5 January 2017 which upheld his bail order issued by Bangladesh High Court on 11 December 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-01-05|title=Sylhet mayor Ariful walks out of jail|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/sylhet-mayor-ariful-walks-out-jail-1340491|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> On 13 March 2017, Bangladesh High Court issued a stay order on Choudhury's suspension from the post of Mayor of Sylhet.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=2017-03-23|title=No bar on Sylhet mayor to discharge duties: SC|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/country/no-bar-sylhet-mayor-discharge-duties-sc-1380097|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> A bench of [[Bangladesh Supreme Court, Appellate Division]] led by Justice [[Surendra Kumar Sinha]] agreed with the High Court order and announced that there was no restriction on Choudhury resuming his office on 23 March 2017.<ref name=":2" /> Choudhury was suspended from his post of mayor of Sylhet by Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives on 2 April 2017.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|date=2017-04-02|title=2 mayors suspended again|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/country/scc-mayor-ariful-suspended-again-1385161|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> The Ministry also suspended [[Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul]], mayor of Rajshahi and also a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician.<ref name=":3" />

Choudhury was nominated by Bangladesh Nationalist Party to contest the 2018 mayoral election in Sylhet.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-06-27|title=BNP picks Ariful again for Sylhet city polls|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/politics/bnp-picks-ariful-haque-chowdhury-again-sylhet-city-corporation-scc-polls-bangladesh-1596334|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> He protested outside the office of deputy commissioner of [[Sylhet Metropolitan Police]] over the arrest of Bangladesh Nationalist Party activists who were campaigning on his re-election.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-07-22|title=Arrest fear grips BNP ranks|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/arrest-fear-grips-bnp-ranks-1609219|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> He was re-elected mayor of Sylhet on 12 August 2018.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=2018-08-12|title=People elected me braving conspiracy|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/politics/sylhet-city-corporation-election-voting-begins-two-centres-peacefully-1619161|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> He beat the Awami League candidate Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran by 6,196 votes.<ref name=":4" /> He had also faced a rebel candidate, Badruzzaman Selim, of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and another candidate, Ehsanul Mahbub Jubayer, from [[Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-07-11|title=Tough task forBNP in Sylhet|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/tough-task-bnp-sylhet-1603408|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> Foyzul Haque Raju, an activist of [[Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatra Dal]], died in fractional clashes near Choudhury's home after celebrating his election victory that day.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-08-12|title=JCD leader killed as two factions clash|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/sylhet-city-election-2018/bangladesh-bd-politics-jatiyatabadi-chhatra-dal-jcd-leader-killed-sylhet-city-scc-elections-1619512|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-08-15|title=Case filed over JCD leader Raju murder|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/city/case-filed-over-jcd-leader-raju-murder-1620916|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> He was sworn in on 5 September 2018 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-09-05|title=Newly elected mayors of Rajshahi, Sylhet sworn in|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/country/newly-elected-rajshahi-and-sylhet-city-corporation-mayors-oath-ceremony-today-1629463|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref>

On 28 August 2018, [[Bangladesh High Court]] ordered Bangladesh government to handover Choudhury's passport to him. The passport was confiscated after he had received bail from [[Shah A M S Kibria]] murder case.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-08-28|title=Return Mayor Ariful's passport: HC|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/country/return-sylhet-city-corporation-scc-mayor-ariful-haque-chowdhury-passport-1625650|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref>

In August 2019, Choudhury announced a 7.89 billion taka budget, including 2 billion taka allocation for infrastructure project from Bangladesh government, for [[Sylhet City Corporation]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-26|title=Sylhet City Corporation announces Tk 789cr budget|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/sylhet-city-corporation-announces-tk-789cr-budget-1790569|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> On 28 September 2019, Choudhury filed a general diary with Kotwali Police Station over threats he received on the phone.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-09-28|title=Sylhet city mayor files GD over death threat|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/politics/sylhet-city-mayor-ariful-haq-chowdhury-files-gd-over-death-threat-1806523|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref>

22 councillors of Sylhet City Corporation out of a total 36 councillors filled a complaint against Choudhury with Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives over corruption allegation and called for his removal.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|date=2020-03-06|title=Of chaos and councillors|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/chaos-and-councillors-1877017|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref> Some of the councillors would later tell the press that they did not call for his removal but for an investigation of specific corruption allegation against him.<ref name=":7" /> On 10 September 2020, Choudhury tested positive for [[COVID-19]] during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-10|title=Sylhet Mayor Arif tests positive for Covid-19|url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/health/coronavirus/2020/09/10/sylhet-mayor-arif-tests-positive-for-covid-19|access-date=2021-05-17|website=Dhaka Tribune}}</ref> His wife had tested positive in June 2020 and recovered at home.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-10|title=Sylhet City mayor tests positive for Covid-19|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/sylhet-city-mayor-tests-positive-covid-19-1959165|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haque Choudhury, Ariful}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Sylhet]]
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Mayors of Sylhet]]
[[Category:Bangladesh Nationalist Party politicians]]

Ariful Haque Choudhury - Revision history

>Hrksmp at 11:49, 7 December 2021