The Election Commission on Wednesday said that its responsibility in the case of Dhaka South City Corporation mayoral matter ended with the issuance of the gazette declaring BNP leader Ishraque Hossain as mayor, replacing Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh to comply with the lower court鈥檚 verdict.
The commission added that the Local Government Division must now take the next step regarding Ishraque鈥檚 swearing-in as per law, as the Appellate Division did not cancel the EC鈥檚 gazette which was challenged by a lawyer.
Election commissioner retired Brigadier General Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah, while briefing reporters at the EC headquarters in the capital Dhaka, said that the commission鈥檚 role started with announcing the election schedule and ended with publishing the results in the gazette.
He said that the Appellate Division referred to two earlier judgments 鈥� Bangabir Kader Siddiqui vs Election Commission and Mahmudul Haque vs Hedayetullah 鈥� in its order related to the EC鈥檚 duty.
鈥榃e have carefully reviewed the Appellate Division鈥檚 May 29 observations. Since the court did not strike down our gazette, it remains valid,鈥� he said.
Asked about the legality of the gazette beyond 30 days of its issuance, the EC said that it was now up to the Local Government Division to examine it and act on the matter.聽
Since May 15, Ishraque鈥檚 supporters, mostly members of several DSCC workers鈥� unions, for the 17th consecutive day on Wednesday kept halted operations at the Nagar Bhaban, the headquarters of the DSCC, and the zonal offices of the city corporation, demanding his swearing-in as the city mayor.聽
However, several DSCC officials and employees visited the Nagar Bhaban to carry out tasks related to the cattle market and cleaning activities on the day.
On Tuesday, joining the ongoing protest and sit-in at the Nagar Bhaban, Ishraque announced that the sit-in programme had been temporarily relaxed to ensure services for city residents during Eid-ul-Azha, one of the largest Muslim religious festivals to be celebrated in the country on June 7, and to ease public sufferings.
On May 29, the Appellate Division refused to intervene in mayoral dispute and left the matter to the Election Commission, reaffirming that the commission must discharge its constitutional responsibility independently and in accordance with law.
The apex court made the observation while disposing of a leave-to-appeal petition filed by Dhaka South resident and lawyer Mamunur Rashid.
