DHAKA: Dhaka City Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka is taking the lead in a major move against the government wooing in the city-corporation councilors on the issue of disappearance of councilor and BNP leader Chowdhury Alam.

Alam has been missing since June 25 while the government said that he was kidnapped.

Getting into pressure with his shaken position as Mayor in the wake of a government move to appoint administrator for the DCC, Khoka sat in a meeting with a total of 60 BNP-minded ward councilors at the Mayor House in Gulshan on Saturday night.

A number of women councilors of the reserved seats were also present at the meeting with Khoka presiding.

Expressing ‘grave’ concern over the issue of Alam, the meeting that lasted two hours decided to stage a daylong hunger strike on July 19 in front of the National Press Club and hold a rally during the 5am-7pm fasting.

“We cannot accept such a situation where a councilor will go missing,” one councilor was quoted as having told the meeting.

A number of councilors also accused ‘a special government’ agency of playing behind the scene. “Alam was kidnapped with government’s patronage…we doubt if he is alive,” said one of them.  

BDST 2200 HRS, JULY 17, 2010.