Houses of many of them were raided in past two weeks, sources close to the administration and law enforcing agencies told this correspondent yesterday.

Meanwhile, the local government ministry has sent a letter to the SCC requesting for providing information on whereabouts of ward commissioners, SCC sources said yesterday.

They got the letter on Thursday and will reply 'soon', they said.

On the other hand, some ward commissioners who left the country for short periods before proclamation of emergency have not yet returned, it was gathered.

Things took a different turn for a section of political leaders after the arrest of Sylhet district Awami League (AL) general secretary Iftekhar Hossain Shamim last Monday. Leaders of major political parties became scared as rumours spread in the city in last few days that many of them were wanted by law enforcers.

However, front ranking leaders like former BNP lawmakers Dilder Hossain Selim and M Ilyas Ali through statements and mobile phones claimed that they are in the capital on personal engagements.

The sources claimed that talked about people like Sylhet city BNP chief and ward commissioner Ariful Haque Chowdhury, joint secretary Azmal Bakht Sadeque, city JCD chief Ziaul Gani Arefin Zillur, Juba Dal leader Main Uddin Sohel are hiding.

There are allegations of land grabbing, tender scam, misuse of power and other corruption against them, the sources claimed.

City BNP general secretary Nasim Hossain, former vice-president of central JCD Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury and district JCD chief Emran Ahmed Chowdhury left the country weeks ago and are staying in the UK, the sources claimed.

Ward Commissioner and former JCD leader Abdul Kadir Shomsu also managed to leave the country for UK weeks ago. Another commissioner, Dinar Khan Hashu, who went to the USA weeks ago is yet to return.

Besides, JCD leaders and cadres like Kamrul Hasan Shahin, Nurul Alam Siddiqi Khaled, Nahidul Islam Nahid, Ashraf Uddin Jewel, Kala Manik, Iftekhar Ahmed Dinar, Shakil Murshed, Nozibur Rahamn Nozib and Milad Ahmed are hiding since the arrest of AL leader Iftekhar Hossain Shamim. There are allegations of toll collection, mugging and other crimes against them, the sources claimed.

Some leaders of AL's youth front Juba League are also hiding after arrest of Juba league general secretary and ward commissioner Azadur Rahman Azad under the Special Powers Act in a graft case. They include Bidhan Kumar Shaha, Ranjit Sarker and Aftab Uddin. Azad is in jail now.

The sources said, at least seven ward commissioners and nine Union Parishad (UP) chairmen went into hiding after proclamation of emergency on January 11. They face allegations of land grabbing, extortion and protecting criminals. Some of them were arrested changeover but released while some were on the list of wanted persons, the sources claimed.

Ward Commissioner Ashique Ahmed and Union Parishad (UP) chairman Osman Ali are facing charges of looting of Tk 22 lakh from Pubali Bank three years ago. The incident came to light when some amount of the looted money and motorbikes used for this were recovered from Osman's house.

There been a number of alleged offences against SCC ward commissioners Farhad Chowdhury Shamim, Jagadish Das, Syed Misbah Uddin, Selim Ahmed Rony and Abdul Quadir Shomsu.

JCD cadre and ward commissioner Shomsu was charged with mugging and toll collection. There were allegations of land grabbing and other crimes against Kuchai UP chairman Abul Kalam. UP chairmen Mokhlisur Rahman Doula, Sirajul Islam, Ali Ahmed, Kabir Ahmed, Ataur Rahman, Tofazzal Hossain and Osman Ali also face allegations of harbouring gangs of criminals.

The sources said most of these people are hiding, some of them in the capital.

City BNP chief Ariful Haque Chowdhury will surrender before court within a day or two, according to reports in local newspapers.

Last week, some national dailies published a list of 50 'wanted' people including Arif. They have been asked to surrender to court or to any police station, the sources said.

Sources in law enforcing agencies said they also raided houses of BNP leader Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury, Azmal Bakth Sadeque, district JCD chief Emran Ahmed Chowdhury, Juba Dal leader Syed Main Uddin Sohel in last two weeks. The list of houses raided also include ward commissioner and BNP leader Farhad Chwodhury Shamim, commissioner Ashique Ahmed, UP chairman Osman Ali, JCD leaders Kamrul Hasan Shahin, Nozibur Rahamn Nozib, Ziaul Gani Arefin Zillur, Nurul Alam Siddiqi Khaled, Nahidul Islam Nahid, Ashraf Uddin Jewel, Kala Manik, Iftekhar Ahmed Dinar, Shakil Murshed and Juba League leaders Bidhan Kumar Shaha and Ranjit Sarker.