Gazipur mayor aspirants have opened initiatives to challenge the High Court’s order staying the polls.
On Sunday, the High Court stayed the election, which was slated for May 15, for three months following a petition against redistricting of the city corporation.
The BNP has claimed it to be a plot by the ruling party sensing its candidate’s defeat.
BNP candidate Hasan Uddin Sarker has moved the Appellate Division against the order.
His counsel AKM Ehsanur Rahman told Bangla Tribune that they have filed a petition with the chamber judge on Monday and expected the matter to be heard later in the day.
The hearing, however, was deferred due to procedural errors relating documents over the election commission's representation.
The Awami League candidate has said he, too, will challenge the High Court’s decision.
“I want the election to be held as well. So, I have decided to appeal against the stay order,” Jahangir Alam told the media at High Court premises on Monday.
The High Court stayed the polls on Sunday following a petition by Savar unit Awami League leader ABM Azharul Islam Suruj.
Suruj, the chairman of Savar’s Shimulia Union, challenged the Election Commission’s gazette notification including six localities of his constituency to the Gazipur City Corporation.
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.
In January 2013, the Election Commission published a gazette notification redistricting the city corporation.
Suruj’s counsel BM Elias said on Sunday that his client had taken the matter to the local government ministry in 2013.
“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 on Sunday, 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.
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.
The state said they will decide on their next course after the order is available.
“We will consider the matter of challenging the decision after going through the court’s order,” Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told the media at his office on Sunday.