Reza Mahmud :
A confusion raised concerning the Dhaka North City Corporation by-polls as two writ petitions were filed on Tuesday in the High Court seeking stay on the upcoming by-polls.
The High Court on Tuesday heard the petitions and set Wednesday (today) for issuing order.
Bhatara Union Parishad Chairman Ataur Rahman and Beraid Union Parishad Chairman AM Jahangir Alam filed the writs yesterday challenging legality of election schedule for DNCC by-polls, declared on January 9 by the Election Commission.
A bench of Justice Naima Haydar and Justice Zafar Ahmed heard the writ. The petitioners urged the court to stay the polls on the ground of incompletion of the voter list of the newly added 18 wards in the DNCC’s jurisdictions.
“It is not only incompletion of the voter list, but there is more legal crises remain on the way to hold the DNCC by-polls right now. It has created wide confusions to hold the election in time. It may be stayed on these grounds,” Dr. Shahdeen Malik, Senior Lawyer of the Supreme Court told The New Nation on Tuesday.
He said, “The laws of adopting new areas in the city corporation were not followed. The more legal crises will also arise. So there is a huge reason to create confusion that the election may be stayed.”
Meanwhile, BNP leaders also expressed their deep skepticism saying the polls may be stayed for political purposes.
“It is nothing but the game of the government. They know that their popularity is in the lowest level. In this circumstance, they want to make the polls stayed,” Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Joint-Secretary General of the BNP told The New Nation on Tuesday.
He said, “We have information that the government thinks the DNCC polls may create huge trouble for them ahead of the next general elections.”
“If the polls are held free and fair manner their party nominee may be defeated. And if their party men use muscles power to win the polls that may harm their image in the upcoming national polls. In this circumstance, they will try to stay the polls,” Alal said.
When contacted, Tabith Awal, the BNP nominated mayor candidate of DNCC by-polls, told The New Nation on Tuesday, “I have expressed my skepticism recently on the polls. It is time to see how the Election Commission will solve it. I hope the EC will be able to solve the matter soon.”
On the other hand, Md. Atiqul Islam, the mayor post aspirant from ruling Awami League told The New Nation on Tuesday, “I have heard about the writ petitions. I hope that the EC will handle the matter efficiently.”
Sources said, some councillor posts’ aspirants from the newly included wards failed to collect nomination forms.
Ataur Rahman, Chairman of Bhatara Union Parishad, one of the petitioners, is also among them.
His lawyer Advocate Ahsan Habib Bhuiyan said, “The voter list of 18 new wards which were freshly added to DNCC is yet to be prepared by the Election Commission that bars the two union council chairmen to collect nomination papers for themselves.”
In this circumstance, how the election will be held? He asked.
