DHAKA: The High Court on Wednesday (Jan 16) cleared the way for holding the by-polls to Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) by dismissing its earlier rule that stayed the by-polls nearly a year ago. 

An HC bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Thakur and Justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order.

Assistant Attorney General Afifa Begum moved for the state, at the courtroom.

The court discharged the rule for default as lawyers of the petitioners weren’t present, she said.

“But, the petitioners can plead for restoring the rule, if they want. As the rule has been rejected, now there is no bar to holding the polls,” she added.

Ahsan Habib Bhuiyan, a lawyer of one of the petitioners, said his client won’t continue the writ anymore.

On Jan 9, 2018, the Election Commission (EC) announced the polls schedule for the vacant posts of DNCC mayor and councilors to the newly introduced 18 wards.

From the new wards, Bhatara union parishad chairman Ataur Rahman and Beraid union parishad chairman Jahangir Alam filed two writs challenging legality of the polls schedule.

The HC on Jan 17 stayed the by-elections to DNCC scheduled for Feb 26 in the same year.

The court also then issued a rule seeking explanation why the process of the by-elections process should not be declared illegal.

BDST: 1509 HRS, JAN 16, 2019
SI/SMS