Ishraque also seeks cancellation of DSCC polls

After Tabith Awal’s petition, BNP’s defeated mayoral candidate in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) election Ishraque Hossain on Tuesday filed a petition with the electoral tribunal seeking cancellation of the results of the 1 February polls.

On behalf of Ishraque, his lawyer Taherul Islam Tauhid filed the petition with the court of Dhaka's first joint district judge Utpal Bhattacharya in the morning, reports UNB.

Taherul said they sought cancellation of the gazette naming Awami League mayoral runner Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh as the mayor of the DSCC as the election as they brought various allegations of election ‘irregularities and vote frauds’.

He said they submitted documents on various election ‘irregularities and vote frauds’ with the petition in support of their demand for cancellation of the election results.

The lawyer said they also mentioned that the election commission declared Taposh the mayor of the DSCC ‘manipulating’ the results though huge voters did not turn up to cast their votes.

Taherul said they want the court to pass an order for reelection annulling the results of the 1 February DSCC polls.

He said the chief election commissioner, election commission secretary, Awami League’s candidate Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh and five others have been made defendants in the petition.

On Monday, BNP’s mayoral candidate for the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) polls Tabith Awal filed a similar petition with the election tribunal, seeking cancellation of the gazette declaring Awami League mayoral runner Atiqul Islam as the mayor of the city.

The newly-elected mayors and councillors of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) took oath of office on 27 February.

Elections to the DNCC and DSCC were held on 1 February last when Awami League candidates Atiqul and Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh won the mayoral posts.

A gazette notification was issued by the EC on 4 February naming Atiqul and Taposh as the elected mayors of DNCC and DSCC repressively.

The commission also made Dhaka's first joint district judge Utpal Bhattacharya’s court as the electoral tribunal to dispose of any complaint regarding the city polls.