The Election Commission has already concluded its responsibility over Dhaka South City Corporation’s mayoral issue with the publication of the official gazette that declared BNP leader Ishraque Hossain as the city’s mayor, said an EC member on Wednesday.
“Since the gazette has not been set aside (by court) rather it remains effective, we think the Election Commission’s tasks were completed (in this regard),” Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah told reporters following a meeting of the Election Commission.
Noting that the High Court’s and the Appellate Division’s observations were discussed elaborately in the meeting, he said the Appellate Division further established the independence of the Election Commission and its supremacy on election matters.
Citing two DLR references, Sanaullah said the election process starts with the notification that means announcement of schedule and concludes with the publication of gazette. “So, we think the Election Commission has completed its responsibility.”
On April 27, the EC published an official gazette declaring Ishraque Hossain as the DSCC mayor in line with a court ruling more than five years after the election.
Over 600 applications seeking 75 constituencies to be re-demarcated:
Noting that the meeting also discussed the delimitation of constituencies, the Election Commissioner said a total of 607 applications were submitted seeking the demarcation of 75 out of 300 constituencies.
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He said the EC has already reviewed the applications. The issue will be discussed in detail after the Eid-ul-Azha, he added.
Replying to a question, Sanaullah said they will consider geographical location, integrity of the administrative unit, the number of population and voters during the delimitation of the constituencies.
Earlier, on March 27, Dhaka's first joint district and election tribunal judge, Md Nurul Islam, declared Ishraq Hossain as the rightful mayor, annulling the results of the 2020 Dhaka South City Corporation election that had declared Fazle Noor Taposh as the winner.
The government’s previous gazette, which declared Taposh—elected with the boat symbol in that election—as mayor, was also cancelled.
The Dhaka North and South City Corporation elections took place on February 1, 2020.
In the North, Awami League candidate Atiqul Islam was elected mayor, while in the South, Fazle Noor Taposh emerged victorious.
Taposh received 4.25 lakh votes in the race for Dhaka South mayor, while his closest rival, BNP’s Ishraque Hossain, secured 236,000 votes.
Ishraque filed a case on March 3, 2020, challenging the election results, alleging widespread irregularities and corruption during the voting.
After the fall of the Awami League government in August, 2024, the positions of the mayors for both Dhaka city corporations were declared vacant, along with those of all city corporation mayors across the country.
On May 22 last, The High Court dismissed a writ petition that sought a directive against administering the oath of office to Ishraque Hossain as DSCC mayor, clearing the way for his swearing-in.
On May 29 last the Appellate Division in an observation said the Election Commission (EC) will decide whether BNP leader Ishraque Hossain will be sworn in as the DSCC Mayor or not.