Atiqul Islam used to pay his daughter Bushra 8 lakh taka as Chief Heat Officer

Atiqul Islam, the former mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), was brought to court on October 17 following allegations of appointing his daughter, Bushra Afreen, as a "Chief Heat Officer" without any formal recruitment process. Allegedly, she was paid Tk 8 lakh per month. The state’s lawyers criticized his actions, calling them disgraceful, and accused him of financial misconduct, including evading government taxes and falsifying election results. Atiqul was also blamed for the high number of dengue-related deaths during his tenure, as it was alleged he brought in substandard mosquito repellent. The court denied his bail, citing the risk of him fleeing and causing further unrest. He had been in hiding for two months before his arrest on October 16. Bushra's appointment had previously drawn attention when she was named Chief Heat Officer in Asia under the Adrien Ershott-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center. However, DNCC clarified she held no official position there.