Demands by different groups across the capital for a rescheduling of the Dhaka North and South city corporation elections are getting louder.
Advocate Ashoke Kumar Ghosh, a Supreme Court lawyer, filed a writ with the High Court on January 5 seeking a directive to defer the date for a week as Saraswati Puja happened to fall on the election day.
The High Court has fixed January 14 for the delivery of its verdict over the writ.
The High Court bench of Justice JBM Hasan and Justice Md Khairul Alam will pronounce the judgement after hearing the writ.
EC waits high court decision
Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) awaits the High Court decision on a rescheduling or otherwise of the voting day for the two city polls.
Speaking to the media, EC secretary Md Alamgir on Monday said: “It is a matter for the court now and we will abide by the directives of the High Court."
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“But earlier we took the decision to hold the polls on January 30 taking into consideration the weekend and commencement of secondary school certificate (SSC) examinations in the following week.”
“The High Court and the government will decide on the issue and we are waiting for the High Court’s decision,” the EC secretary added.
Stakeholders meet EC officials
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikyo Parishod and around 200 students-teachers of Dhaka University (DU) have separately demanded a rescheduling of both Dhaka city corporation polls, scheduled to be held on January 30, as Saraswati Puja will be observed on the same day.
The Parishod voiced its demands when a seven-member team of the organisation, led by Rana Dasgupta, met Chief Election Commissioner K M Nurul Huda on Monday.
After the meeting with the CEC, Advocate Rana Dasgupta urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the cabinet to serve notice on a rescheduling of the polls so that the Election Commission could change the date within constitutional stipulations.
Meanwhile, speaking at a program at TSC, DU Senate Member and Sanskrit department Professor Prof Asim Sarkar said: “Saraswati Puja is one of the most popular festivals in the country. But it is a matter of great sorrow that the date for the mayoral elections coincides with Saraswati Puja”.
The academic urged the EC to reschedule the polls.
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Earlier on Sunday, Bangladesh Chhatra Oikya Parishad formed a human chain on the DU campus, while the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu), Jagannath and Bijoy Ekattar hall unions in separate statements demanded a change in the voting date.
A group of Jagannath Hall students held a meeting with Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar in this regard.
Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda on December 22 last year announced the schedule for elections to the Dhaka North and South City Corporations.
Saraswati Puja, one of the biggest religious festivals of the Hindu community, will be celebrated across Bangladesh on the same day in line with the decision made by the Puja Committee at Dhakeshwari Temple on January 3.
The puja is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the bright fortnight in the Bangla month of Magh (Vasant Panchami), as Goddess Saraswati was born on this day.
As Saraswati is considered to be the Goddess of wisdom and knowledge, Hindu devotees, especially students, celebrate the puja in different educational institutions and temples.
