Appeal hearing against stay on Gazipur polls Wednesday

Gazipur City Corporation
Gazipur City Corporation

The Supreme Court (SC) is scheduled to hold hearing on the two appeal petitions on Wednesday challenging the High Court order staying the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) election for three months, reports UNB.

The full bench of the appellate division, led by chief justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, will hear on the appeal petitions filed by two mayoral candidates of ruling party Awami League (AL) and the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Earlier in the day, Awami League mayoral candidate Zahangir Alam filed a petition with the Appellate Division bench of the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order staying the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) election for three months.

The chamber judge of the Appellate Division justice Hasan Foyez Siddique on Tuesday sent the petitions to the full-bench of the appellate division after hearing on the two petitions.

Earlier on Monday, BNP mayoral candidate Hasan Uddin Sarkar filed a petition with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order.

However, no hearing on the petition was held with the chamber judge of the Appellate Division as no representative from the election commission was present at the court, said Sagir Hossain Leon, counsel of the BNP mayoral candidate.

On Sunday, the HC stayed the Gazipur City Corporation election, which was scheduled to be held on 15 May, for three months.

It also issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the inclusion of six moujas of Dhaka district into GCC should not be declared illegal.

The government on 16 January 2013 published a gazette incorporating six moujas of Shimulia union of Savar upazila (South Boroibari, Domna, Shibrampur, West Panishail, South Panishail and Domnag) under Gazipur City Corporation but according to law, GCC was formed with Gazipur and Tongi municipalities.

ABM Azharul Islam Suruj, Shimulia union parishad chairman of Savar, filed the writ on Sunday morning challenging the legality of the gazette as the election commission announced the election schedule incorporating six moujas of Dhaka district, which is illegal.

Chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda announced the election schedule for Gazipur and Khulna city corporations on 31 March.