The Supreme Court is set to hear three appeals on Thursday challenging a High Court order stated the Gazipur City Corporation polls for three months.
The appeals bench, led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, will hear the petitions filed by two mayor aspirants —Awami League’s Zahangir Alam and BNP’s candidate Hasan Uddin Sarkar, and the Election Commission (EC).
The new hearing has been scheduled after the EC filed an appeal against the HC order on Wednesday.
The court was expected to hear the appeals filed by the mayoral candidates on Wednesday, but after the EC’s move, it has been rescheduled to Thursday.
As the proceedings began on Wednesday to hear petitions by the candidates, EC lawyer Obaidur Rahman Mustafa told the court that they have also filed an appeal and pleaded for time.
In response, Chief Justice Hossain told the counsel, “Two sides have already appealed, where were you then?”
Rahman replied: “We seek time for preparations of the hearing.”
Mahbub Uddin Khokon, who represents the BNP-nominated candidate, said: “The election is scheduled for May 15, so the hearing should begin right now.”
“Let’s us see what happens tomorrow (Thursday),” the chief justice said before adjourning the court.
On Tuesday, Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, the Supreme Court’s chamber judge, forwarded the petitions to the appeals bench and scheduled Wednesday for a hearing.
On Sunday, the High Court stayed the election for three months following a petition against redistricting of the city corporation
It also issued a rule asking the government to explain why the inclusion of six administrative areas in Dhaka district into Gazipur electoral areas should not be declared illegal.