The election to the Gazipur City Corporation has hit snags as the court stayed it for three months.





















The High Court’s order came on Sunday, just nine days ahead of the voting slated for May 15, after hearing a petition on redistricting the city premises.
The petitioners counsel told the media after the hearing that the polls were halted for six months, but Deputy Attorney General Mokhlesur Rahman later confirmed that it was three months.
In January 2013, the Election Commission published a gazette notification including six localities in the city corporation.
Local Awami League leader ABM Azharul Islam Suruj, who is the chairman of the Shimulia Union Council, filed a petition on Sunday challenging the inclusion.
After an initial hearing, Justice Naima Haider and Justice Zafar Ahmed stayed the polls for six months.
The court also issued a rule asking why the gazette notification and the schedules for the polls will be not declared illegal.
Nine people, including the local government secretary and a deputy secretary of the ministry, Dhaka divisional commissioner, Dhaka deputy commissioner, Gazipur city corporation’s chief executive and chief election commissioner have been ordered to come up with an explanation.
Petitioner’s counsel BM Elias said that his client had taken the matter to the local government ministry in 2013, when the six localities were included in the city corporation.
“But the ministry did not respond, so Suruj moved the High Court, when it ordered the government to dispose of the matter. Without disposing of the matter, the polls to the Shimulia Union Council was held in 2016, when Suruj was elected the chairman,” he told Bangla Tribune.
The six localities in concern fall under the Shimulia Union.
On Mar 4, 2017, a second official order was issued redistricting the city corporation and a month later, on Apr 3, the schedules of the city polls was announced, he added.
Speaking to Bangla Tribune, petition Suruj said his bids to challenge the redistricting have been turned down twice.
“But that was not the case this time,” he said.
Suruj confirmed that he was serving as the labour and manpower affairs secretary to the Savar unit of the Awami League.
EC orders to halt electoral process
Soon after the High Court’s order, the Election Commission instructed Gazipur polls officials to halt all proceedings.
“The returning officer has been instructed to stop all electoral proceedings as soon as it was reported in the media. We will decide on the next step after receiving the court’s order,” Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukder told the media at his office.
Gazipur’s Returning Officer Rakib Uddin Mandal said that they have stopped all activities regarding the polls.
“We have halted all proceedings upon verbal instructions, but yet to receive the official order,” he told Bangla Tribune.