HC asks EC to accept late applications of councillor aspirants

The High Court yesterday directed the returning officers concerned to receive and scrutinise before the end of the day the nomination papers of 13 ward councillor aspirants in Dhaka city corporation elections to be held on April 28.

The HC came up with the orders following eight writ petitions filed by Mahmuda Begum, Shahnaz Habib, Nargis Begum Baby, Mahbub Foyez, Mahfuza Rina, Mollika Zaman Mukta, Lokman Hossain, AKM Nuruzzaman, Md Motiur Rahman, Md Sohrab Hossain, Hasna Begum, Setu Rahman and Aleya Khatun.

The petitioners claimed that the returning officers of Dhaka north and south city corporations have refused to receive their nomination papers for submitting those after 5:00pm on March 29, the last day for submission.

They prayed to the HC to direct the officers to receive and scrutinise their papers so that they can contest the elections.

Petitioners' counsels Manzill Murshid and AKM Ehsanur Rahman told The Daily Star that their clients went to the election offices in time on March 29 to submit their nomination papers, but they could not approach the offices by 5:00pm due to a tremendous rush of other candidates and their supporters.