The High Court yesterday rejected a writ petition to clear the way for holding the April 28 city polls in Dhaka.
The bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman rejected the writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Eunus Ali Akond seeking a stay on the elections.
Eunus challenged the legality of local government (city corporations) rules of 2010 and 2011 that split the erstwhile Dhaka City Corporation.
The petition said the government had violated the Local Government (city corporation) Act 2009 by dividing the Dhaka City Corporation.
It also said that as per the City Corporation (Amendment) Rule 2011, mayoral candidates are supposed to pay Tk1 lakh to the EC as security deposit. All citizens cannot afford that amount but Bangladesh is a democratic country by constitution and every citizen therefore has the right to contest polls.
“It means that the candidates must have at least Tk1 lakh [for contesting polls]. This is not fair,” Akond said in the petition.
Moreover, returning officers of the two city corporations have asked the candidates to buy compact disks (CDs) containing the voter lists at Tk18,000 and Tk27,500. Akond said that is also illegal.
In the petition, the Supreme Court lawyer prayed to the court to issue a rule upon the government and the EC asking them why the city corporation rule of 2010 and 2011 and the returning office notices should not be declared illegal.
The respondents to this petition were the law secretary, secretary to the parliament, chief election commissioner and returning officers of the two city corporations.