Staff Reporter :
The Election (EC) Commission has rescheduled the Dhaka city elections for February 1 amid growing protests and demand to defer the polls centering the celebration of Saraswati Puja,
Earlier the EC set January 30 for holding Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) polls simultaneously.
The fresh decision came after the hours-long emergency meeting chired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city on Saturday evening.
The Hindu community and Dhaka University students were demanding the deferment of the elections as Saraswati Puja, one of the biggest festivals of the community, falls on the same day, January 30.
Top mayoral aspirants also urged the commission to revise the polls schedule so that the Hindu community can smoothly celebrate the festival.
A group of Dhaka University students began observing fast unto death from January 16 and many of them fell sick during the hunger strike.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jatiyo Hindu Mohajote urged their community people to refrain from voting if the Election Commission did not reschedule the upcoming elections.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) also threatened to go for tough movement to press the same demand. On January 14, the High Court rejected a petition seeking deferment of the January 30 elections.
An appeal petition was filed with the Supreme Court on January 16 challenging the High Court order.
Meanwhile, the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations will begin on February 3 in stead of February 1 as per reschedule of the Education Ministry.
The ministry in a press statement confirmed this on Saturday. The cause of the defferment could not be known immediately.
But the ministry sources said that the examines have been deferred soon after the EC’s decision of rescheduled for Dhaka city polls on February 1 instead of the January 30.
About 20 lkah of students are expected to take part in the SSC and equivalent examinations this year.
Among the candidates, 1,024,363 are male and 1,023,416 female. The examinations will be held at 3,512 centres in 28,884 institutions.
Education minister Dipu Moni said 1,635,240 candidates will sit for SSC exam under nine general education boards, 281,254 for Dakhil exams under Madrasa Education Board and 131,285 for vocational exam under Bangladesh Technical Education Board this year.
Besides, 342 students will take part in the examination from abroad, the minister said.
