Dhaka, May 9 – The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda Wednesday said it would not be possible to hold the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) polls on May 15 if the court cancels the stay order of HC that stalled elections for three months. “If the verdict of appeal goes on behalf of the EC, then according to the schedule, it is not possible to hold the polls on May 15. If the court would have given the verdict on Wednesday, it would have been possible to hold polls on the scheduled date,” he said.
The CEC said this to the journalists about GCC election after a meeting with the district administration and election officials in Gazipur on Wednesday.
“If the court asks that the Gazipur City Corporation election to be held on May 15, we must obey the order of the court. But it’s a critical time to hold the polls within the given date. The date of the election has to be deferred if the court withdraws the suspension without fixing any date,” the CEC said.
However, it will not be necessary to announce the schedule again, only the date of the election will be changed.
Earlier, CEC visited the district election office and joined a meeting with the district administration and election officials at the Bhawal conference room of the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Deputy commissioner of Gazipur Dr. Dewan Mohammed Humayun Kabir chaired the meeting while regional election officer and also returning officer of GCC election Rakib Uddin Mandol, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Mahmud Hasan, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Khandaker Yasir Arefin, district election officer Mohammed Tarifuzzaman, District executive magistrate and Upazila election officials were present, among others.
CEC said, “I have talked with the Election Commission’s Regional Officer, District Administration and Superintendent of Gazipur Police. They said that it is not possible to hold elections at this time. Because the Superintendent of Police said to me that deployment of law enforcers around 10-11 thousand police force from different places on the occasion of the election is difficult in a short time. It also needs 500 to 600 vehicles. Magistrates will have to be appointed and they will come from different districts. The polling officers will have to give training. So, it impossible to complete all such works in this period.”
Meanwhile, the fate of holding the Gazipur city elections will be decided today following the hearing of the three appeals including the Election Commission (EC) that challenged the High Court order that suspended the polls for three months.
The Supreme Court (SC) appellate division gave the time for the hearing following the appeals of ruling party Awami League (AL) mayoral candidate, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) mayoral aspirant and the EC.
The EC yesterday filed its petition challenging the HC stay order that halted the GCC polls for three months.
Advocate Obaidur Rahman Mostafa said the apex court will hold a hearing on the petition of EC on Thursday along with two other petitions filed by mayoral aspirants Hasan Uddin Sarkar of BNP and Jahangir Alom of Awami League.
Earlier, the chamber judge on Wednesday did not give any order on the petition filed by BNP candidate Hasan Uddin Sarker rather the judge sent the appeal to the regular bench.
Besides, ruling party candidate Jahangir Alam on Wednesday filed a petition with the apex court seeking resumption of the city polls but the court fixed the hearing on Thursday.
The HC on 6 May stayed the Gazipur city polls for three months, just nine days before it was due to be held on May 15.
The court also issued a rule asking the Commission and the government as to why the inclusion of six mouzas of the Shimulia union council in Savar in the electoral roll of the Gazipur City Corporation should not be declared illegal.
The HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Zafar Ahmed came up with the order and rule in response to a writ petition. Shimulia Parishad chairman ABM Azharul Islam had filed the writ petition, challenging the legality of the process for holding Gazipur city election. – Staff reporter
