Dhaka, May 18 -- The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has refuted allegations that its current administrator Mohammad Azaz has links to the banned Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, describing the claims as "baseless" and "politically motivated".

The rebuttal came in an official statement issued on Sunday by DNCC spokesperson and information officer Farzana Bobby, following renewed controversy sparked by investigative journalist Zulkarnain Saer.

In a post on his verified Facebook page on Friday, Saer alleged, citing case files and intelligence reports, that Azaz had served as the fifth-ranking leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir.

He also claimed that Azaz was formerly affiliated with Islami Chhatra Shibir during his student years, and later joined...