HC stays polls to 18 new DSCC wards

A day after staying the Dhaka North City Corporation by-polls, the High Court yesterday stayed the process of holding elections to Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) ward councilor posts and reserved seats in 18 new wards for four weeks. The HC bench of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice Md Faruque came up with the order and rule following a writ petition filed by Mozammel Mia, a voter of Demra union, challenging the legality of the election schedule.

The HC bench also issued a rule asking the Election Commission and the government to explain in four weeks why the election schedule declared by the EC for holding the elections should not be declared illegal.

The LGRD secretary and the chief election commissioner have been made respondents to reply to the rule within four weeks.

On January 17, Mozammel Miah, a voter, filed writ petition seeking stay on the upcoming polls to the ward councilor posts of DSCC.

In the petition in was mentioned that all the posts of union parishads (UPs) have to be dissolved before including them as wards in the city corporation and then a gazette notification has to be issued to this effect under the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act, 2009. But, the posts of UP chairmen have not been dissolved yet. Nor have the new voter lists for the new wards been published, the petition added.

The Election Commission was scheduled to arrange by-polls to the DNCC mayoral post, polls to the 36 councilor posts and 12 reserved seats in the 36 new wards - 18 of the DNCC and 18 of the Dhaka South City Corporation -on February 26.

The EC fixed January 18 as the last date for filing nomination paper while scrutiny was scheduled to be held on January 21, 22. The closing date for nomination paper withdrawal is January 29.

Earlier, on Wednesday, another bench of the HC stayed for three months the by-polls to Dhaka North City Corporation mayoral post and elections to the councilor posts in 18 new wards of the DNCC.

The elections were scheduled to be held on February 26.

Advocate Quamrul Haque Siddiqui appeared for the petitioner during the hearing on the petition.

 

HC stays polls to 18 new DSCC wards

A day after staying the Dhaka North City Corporation by-polls, the High Court yesterday stayed the process of holding elections to Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) ward councilor posts and reserved seats in 18 new wards for four weeks. The HC bench of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice Md Faruque came up with the order and rule following a writ petition filed by Mozammel Mia, a voter of Demra union, challenging the legality of the election schedule. The HC bench also issued a rule asking the Election Commission and the government to explain in four weeks why the election schedule declared by the EC for holding the elections should not be declared illegal. The LGRD secretary and the chief election commissioner have been made respondents to reply to the rule within four weeks. On January 17, Mozammel Miah, a voter, filed writ petition seeking stay on the upcoming polls to the ward councilor posts of DSCC. In the petition in was mentioned that all the posts of union parishads (UPs) have to be dissolved before including them as wards in the city corporation and then a gazette notification has to be issued to this effect under the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act, 2009. But, the posts of UP chairmen have not been dissolved yet. Nor have the new voter lists for the new wards been published, the petition added. The Election Commission was scheduled to arrange by-polls to the DNCC mayoral post, polls to the 36 councilor posts and 12 reserved seats in the 36 new wards - 18 of the DNCC and 18 of the Dhaka South City Corporation -on February 26. The EC fixed January 18 as the last date for filing nomination paper while scrutiny was scheduled to be held on January 21, 22. The closing date for nomination paper withdrawal is January 29. Earlier, on Wednesday, another bench of the HC stayed for three months the by-polls to Dhaka North City Corporation mayoral post and elections to the councilor posts in 18 new wards of the DNCC. The elections were scheduled to be held on February 26. Advocate Quamrul Haque Siddiqui appeared for the petitioner during the hearing on the petition.