The scheduled date for holding the Dhaka city polls on January 30 has again been challenged before the Appellate Division to defer elections because the Hindu festival Saraswati Puja coincides with it. The writ petitioner, Advocate Ashoke Kumar Ghosh, filed the appeal challenging the High Court’s previous order that turned down the application for the deferment of election date because of Puja.

Meanwhile, Election Commission (EC) said both the elections and Puja will be at 27 centres of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and 26 centers of Dhaka South City Corporations (DSCC).

As per EC, over 57 lakh voters — 32 lakh in DNCC and 25 lakh in DSCC — would cast their votes in around 14,000 booths in about 2,600 polling centres on January 30 through Electronic Voting Machines.

Meanwhile, ruling party Awami League has urged the devotees of the Puja to accept the court’s order making the path for holding the polls peacefully.  On the other hand, DNCC mayoral candidate Atiqul Islam has requested the Election Commission to defer the polls considering the Puja.

Meanwhile, around fifty students of Dhaka University yesterday started indefinite hunger strike demanding the deferment of two city corporation elections that coincided with Saraswati Puja, a major religious festival of the Hindu students. Taking a sit-in programme at the Raju Memorial Sculpture on the campus, the demonstrating students said they would carry out their hunger strike till the demand is met.

“We will continue our strike till our demand is met,” said Utpal Bishwas, vice-president (VP) of DU’s Jagannath Hall.

The angry students have been demonstrating on the campus since Tuesday demanding deferral of the elections. Earlier in the day, members of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) staged a protest rally on the campus echoing the same demand.

Around one hundred JCD members, including the student front’s President Fazlur Rahman Khokon, General Secretary Iqbal Hossain Shyamol, were present.

“The EC has scheduled the Dhaka city polls on the day of the Saraswati Puja, which is completely unacceptable. The religious sentiment of the Hindu community has been hurt because of it. We demand the rescheduling of the polls,” Khokon said.

Meanwhile, after filing appeal, Advocate Ashoke told reporters that the members of Hindu community would go to academic institutions in Dhaka to offer their prayer on January. If the DCC elections are held on that day, vehicular movement will remain halted for which the worshipers cannot go to their academic institutions for offering prayer and therefore, Puja celebration will be hampered, he added.

The chamber court of the Appellate Division is likely to hold hearing on the appeal on next Sunday. The High Court on January 14 turned down the previous petition for the deferment of the elections. A day after it, the petitioner filed the application with the Appellate Division.

The High Court comprising of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam turned down the application considering the progress in the election procedures and the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations.

Before filing petition to the High Court, Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist Christian Unity Council requested EC in writing to defer the election date but they did not get any redress and proceeded to the court.

Meanwhile, ruling Awami League leaders have observed that all should accept the High Court order over the deferment of the date of DNCC and DSCC elections slated for January 30.

Talking to the media, yesterday Awami League spokesperson Obaidul Quader called upon all including the protesters to accept the HC order over the issue.

“None should raise any question against the HC order over city polls. I will call upon the protesters to accept the court order. All want the upcoming city polls should be held on time,” he said this while talking to the reporters at secretariat in the city.

On the other hand, AL nominated candidate Atiqul Islam has requested the Election Commission to defer the date of polling of the city polls.

“Bangladesh is a non-communal country. I don’t want the city polls should be held on day of Saraswati Puja. I will request EC to reconsider the polling date,” he said this while conducting his campaigning in the city’s Mirpur area.

Meanwhile, EC secretary Md Alamgir at his office in the Election Bhaban said, “The election would be held on January 30. There is no way to step back from here.”

Regarding the petition filed with the Appellate Division, he said, “Court has every power to change any decision taken by administration. The Commission would accept any verdict of the court. Supreme Court is the apex court. If any different order comes, we must accept it.”