Petition filed to stay Dhaka city corp polls

A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking stay the election of two Dhaka city corporations scheduled to be held on April 28.

The petition said the election schedule for the DCCs are illegal since it was announced what it said under the "illegal" amended act.

In the writ, the petitioner challenged the legality of the Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Act, 2011 on which the Dhaka city corporation was divided into North and South because the related provision (section 3) of the Local Government (City Corporation) Act, 2009 that sets the Dhaka city corporation as a unitary body, was not changed.

The petitioner, Eunus Ali Akond, a Supreme Court lawyer, has also challenged the provisions of security money and purchasing voter lists by the candidates.

The petitioner prayed to the court to issue a rule upon the government and the election commission to explain why the relevant rules and the amended act, for holding the elections to the two city corporations should not be declared illegal.

Citing the petition, Eunus Ali told The Daily Star that not all citizens have the ability to deposit the security money and purchase the voter lists to contest the election adding that it was illegal as the constitution grants the right to every citizen to contest the election.

The HC may hold hearing on the petition today, he said.

A mayoral candidate of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has to deposit Tk 1 lakh as security money to the election commission. The amount is Tk 50,000 for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).

According to the returning officers' notices, each DNCC mayoral candidate has to buy a Tk 18,000 CDs of voter lists while a DSCC mayoral candidate has to pay Tk 27,500 for such CDs.

The law secretary, the secretary to parliament, the chief election commissioner, and the returning officers of the two city corporations have been made respondents to the rule.