Leave to appeal filed over Ishraque’s mayoral gazette
A leave to appeal has been filed seeking a suspension of the election tribunal's verdict and the election commission’s gazette notification that declared BNP leader Ishraque Hossain as the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation.
The leave to appeal was submitted today, Monday to the relevant branch of the Appellate Division.
Earlier, on 22 May, the High Court summarily rejected a writ petition that had sought to suspend the tribunal’s verdict and the EC's gazette declaring Ishraque as mayor.
In response to that High Court order, the petitioner on Monday filed a leave to appeal in the Appellate Division, again seeking suspension of both the mayoral declaration and the gazette notification.
Senior lawyer Mohammed Hossain says the leave to appeal filed against HC order suspending tribunal verdict and EC gazette on Ishraque.
Mohammad Hossain, senior counsel for the leave to appeal petitioner, told Prothom Alo, “A leave to appeal has been filed challenging the High Court’s order, seeking suspension of the election tribunal's verdict and the election commission’s gazette notification declaring Ishraque as mayor. The hearing may take place in the chamber court today or tomorrow.”
On 13 May, a Supreme Court lawyer Md Mamunur Rashid filed the writ petition seeking a stay on the election tribunal's verdict and the EC’s gazette declaring Ishraque Hossain as mayor. After a hearing, the High Court rejected the petition outright on 22 May and issued its full order the same day. The leave to appeal was filed today against that High Court order.
The election for Dhaka South City Corporation was held on 1 February 2020. The Awami League's (currently banned) candidate Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh was elected mayor.
The election commission published the official results in a gazette on 2 February 2020. Taposh took oath and served as mayor.
Citing allegations of electoral fraud and corruption, Ishraque Hossain filed a case on 3 March 2020, seeking annulment of the results.
On 5 August last year, the Awami League government was overthrown in a mass uprising. Subsequently, on 19 August, all city mayors, including those from Dhaka South City Corporation, were removed from office.
In the case filed by Ishraque, the first joint district judge and election tribunal of Dhaka issued a verdict on 27 March this year, cancelling the election of Taposh and declaring Ishraque Hossain as the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation. Following this court verdict, the election commission published a gazette on 27 April officially declaring Ishraque as mayor.