HC turns down plea for rescheduling Dhaka city polls

The High Court (HC) on Tuesday turned down a writ petition seeking its directive to defer the elections to the two Dhaka city corporations, reports UNB.

The HC bench of justice JBM Hassan and justice Md Khairul Alam passed the order considering the progress in the election process and the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations scheduled to take place on 2 February.

Following the HC order, the elections to Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) will be held as per its previous schedule on 30 January.

On 6 January, advocate Ashoke Kumar Ghosh, a Supreme Court lawyer, filed the writ seeking its directive to defer the polls as Saraswati Puja, one of the biggest religious festivals of the Hindu community, will be celebrated across the country on the day.

Saraswati Puja is celebrated in all universities, colleges and other educational institutions across the country while polling stations will be set up in different educational institutions in the city for the polls which will hamper the celebrations, the writ said.

On 22 December last, chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda announced the election schedule for the polls to DNCC and DSCC fixing 30 January as the voting date.