Monirul to approach tribunal to postpone gazette on election results

The defeated mayoral candidate in Cumilla City Election Monirul Haque Sakku is going to file a case with the election tribunal demanding reelection, cancelling the results of a few centres and the gazette.

Monirul Haque confirmed the development to Prothom Alo on Tuesday evening, adding that he will lodge a lawsuit in the tribunal before 22 July. He is collecting evidence to do so. .

The former Cumilla city mayor said the presiding officer of Victoria Government College centre left the booth without providing the detailed information on election result to his agents while the pin numbers and the signatures found in the result sheet of the new and old buildings' polling booths in Dishabanda were not those of his agents.

Apart from this, there was no signature of his agent in the result sheet of Shalban Bihar polling station. Even this result didn't contain the signature of his opponent candidate's agent. The chaotic situation at Shilpakala Academy auditorium emerged while announcing results due to the illegal interference of the presiding officer and the influence of invisible political power, Monirul claimed.

He said, "I am demanding reelection cancelling the results of these four centres. I appealed to postpone the gazette on results. But the election commission published it. Now I will move towards the election tribunal."

The returning officer of Cumilla City Corporation Md Shahedunnabi Chowdhury on Tuesday told Prothom Alo that the election commission responded to the complaint of Monirul Haque four days after the election was held. There was no irregularity found while announcing the election results.

On 15 June, Awami League (AL) candidate Arfanul Haque Rifat was elected the mayor of Cumilla City Corporation. He won by 343 votes than his nearest competitor Monirul Islam Sakku, an independent candidate.

In the election, Arfanul Haque secured 50,310 votes in 105 centres while Monirul bagged 49,967.

However, Monirul Haque rejected the result immediately claiming he was defeated premeditatedly halting the result of a handful of centres at the last stage of announcing election results.