United News of Bangladesh

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court is set to hear the leave-to-appeal petition, filed seeking stay on the lower court verdict and gazette notification issued by the Election Commission, announcing Ishraque Hossain as the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), on Wednesday. Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Md Rezaul Haque on Tuesday fixed the date for hearing the appeal petition. Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon stood for Ishraque while Advocate Mohammad Hossain represented the petitioner. Earlier on Monday, a leave-to-appeal petition filed seeking stay on the lower court verdict and gazette notification issued by the Election Commission, announcing Ishraque as the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC). Senior Advocate Mohammad Hossain filed the leave-to-appeal petition at the Appellate Division. On May 22, the High Court dismissed a writ petition that sought a directive against administering the oath of office to BNP leader Ishraque as mayor of DSCC, clearing the way for his swearing-in. On May 14, Dhaka South resident Md Mamunur Rashid filed the writ petition seeking a stay on Ishraque’s swearing-in and disciplinary action against the judge who declared him mayor. SC orders reinstatement of 988 dismissed National University employees The petition also challenged the validity of the lower court’s verdict, which overturned the result of the 2020 DSCC polls. The same High Court bench had fixed May 22 for delivering its order on the matter after hearing arguments on May 21. Advocate Kazi Akbar Ali represented the petitioner during the hearing, while Ishraque was represented by his legal team, who welcomed the decision and said there was now no legal barrier to his taking oath as DSCC mayor. The development comes nearly two months after a lower court annulled the 2020 DSCC election result and declared Ishraque the BNP-nominated candidate, as the rightful mayor. On February 1, 2020, Awami League candidate Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh was declared the winner of the DSCC election, defeating Ishraque by a margin of nearly 200,000 votes. However, on 27 March 2024, Judge Md Nurul Islam of the Dhaka First Joint District Judge and Electoral Tribunal nullified that result and declared Ishraque the victor. Following the verdict, the constitutional body sought legal advice from the Ministry of Law on 22 April regarding publication of the gazette. Subsequently, on 27 April, the Election Commission issued a gazette notification announcing Ishraque as the new mayor of DSCC. Meanwhile, supporters of Ishraque resumed their protests in front of Nagar Bhaban on Monday, demanding that he be handed over the responsibilities of DSCC mayor without further delay.

The Election Commission published a gazette notification declaring BNP leader Ishraque Hossain as the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) to implement a court verdict as no opinion was received from the Law Ministry within the stipulated timeframe, Election Commissioner Abdul Fazal Md Sanaullah said on Wednesday. “We implemented the court order (through publishing the gazette) to avoid any deviation from the directive of the court,” he told reporters after a meeting of the Election Commission in the capital. The meeting was held with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin in the chair, while all four election commissioners and the EC senior secretary were present. Sanaullah said the EC waited until 5 pm on Sunday last for the law ministry’s opinion. As the EC didn’t receive any reply by then, the commission published the gazette to comply with the Election Tribunal’s order. "We were obliged to resolve it within 10 days. We resolved it,” he said, replying to a question over the gazette notification that declared Ishraque Hossain as the DSCC mayor without receiving the opinion from the Law Ministry. “We sought an opinion as soon as possible. April 25 was the tenth day, that day was a Friday. We took two days. We waited until 5:00pm on Sunday. Since we did not receive the reply, we implemented the court order so that there would be no deviation," he said. Chinmoy Das secures HC bail in sedition case The EC on April 27 last issued the gazette notification, but the next day Law Adviser Asif Nazrul claimed the EC acted before receiving opinion from the Law Ministry. On March 27 last, Judge of the Election Tribunal in Dhaka Md Nurul Islam nullified the result that had declared Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh elected in the 2020 DSCC election and instead declared Ishraque Hossain the winner. The DSCC election was held on February 1, 2020, where Awami League’s Taposh was declared winner “defeating Ishraque by nearly 190,000 votes”. Taposh assumed office on May 16 that year and the first meeting of the elected body was held in early June. So, the five-year term of the elected body is set to end by June this year.

BNP executive committee member Ishraque Hossain was attacked on Sunday allegedly by the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League BCL) near Jagannath University (JnU) while distributing leaflets to drum up public support for the party’s December-10 rally. Talking to UNB, Ishraque alleged that the BCL activists from Jagannath University carried out the attack at noon, leaving six-seven BNP leaders and activists. The BNP leader said the BCL men first started throwing brick chips when he along with BNP leaders and activists were getting into his vehicle after completing the leaflet distribution programme. Read more: BNP demands withdrawal of check post outside Khaleda’s house “Later, they attacked us with rods and hockey sticks. They also vandalised my vehicle,” he said. Ishraque,  the son of late BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka, said four injured BNP activists were admitted to a hospital. Contacted, JnU unit BCL president Ibrahim Farazi said they chased Ishraque and his followers as the BNP leader was making provocative remarks while distributing the leaflets He claimed that some BCL activists were injured as the ‘cadres’ of Ishraque attacked them. Read more: 75 sued over crude bomb blast in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan office Earlier on Nov 5, the motorcade of Ishraque came under attack by miscreants at Mahilara Bazar in Gouranadi upazila on his way to BNP’s divisional rally in Barishal. A number of vehicles were vandalised while nine BNP activists were injured in the attack.

BNP leader Ishraque Hossain was freed from jail on Tuesday evening, hours after he was granted bail in an arson attack case. He walked out of Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj around 6:15pm as the bail order reached the jail authorities, said jail sources. Also read:BNP leader Ishraque gets bail BNP’s Dhaka south city unit leaders and activists received him at the jail gate. Earlier in the day, Ishraque secured bail, six days after he was arrested and jailed in an arson attack case. Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Tofazzal Hossain passed the order on a bond of Tk 5,000. Ishraque’s lawyer Taherul Islam Tawhid said his client was out of the country on the day of incident of torching a vehicle for which he was arrested. He said the BNP leader was granted bail as he submitted the proof before the court in this regard. Earlier on April 6, police arrested Ishraque Hossain, while he along with Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal leaders was distributing leaflets highlighting the Awami League government’s failure in controlling the prices of daily essentials and against its alleged corruption. Police said they arrested Ishraque, son of former Dhaka city mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, as an arrest warrant was pending against him in a case filed over setting a car on fire near the Bangladesh Bank building in the capital in 2020. Ishraque was BNP’s mayoral candidate in the last Dhaka South City Corporation elections. An FIR was lodged against 42 people in connection with vandalising and torching a vehicle on November 12, 2020. Ishraque was made an accused in the case. Also read: BNP leader Ishraque lands in jail On November 18, 2020, the BNP leader secured bail from the High Court in the case. On January 5, 2021, he surrendered before a lower court after completion of his bail period, granted by the High Court and sought bail again in the case. On August 18, 2021, the court issued a warrant for the arrest of Ishraque after rejecting his bail petition in the case.

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 February-1 polls.

BNP’s defeated mayoral candidate for the recently held Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) polls Ishraque Hossain on Sunday alleged that their party’s all leaders did not sincerely work to ensure the victory of the party candidates.

BNP’s Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) mayoral candidate Ishraque Hossain on Friday discussed the latest election situation with US Embassy’s political counselor Brent Christensen.

BNP mayoral candidate for Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) polls Ishraque Hossain on Monday feared that a move is on to make the field empty before the February-1 voting as a case was filed against his supporters in connection with Sunday’s Gopibagh clash.

The BNP’s Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) mayoral candidate Ishraque Hossain on Saturday called upon voters in general and his supporters in particular to turn the other cheek in the face of any provocation till the election is over and victory is achieved.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday alleged that the ruling party is conspiring to hamper their party’s victory in the elections to two Dhaka city corporations.