Dhaka: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) has postponed the hearing until tomorrow regarding a leave to appeal petition. This petition seeks to stay the court judgment and Election Commission (EC) gazette that declared BNP leader Ishraque Hossain as the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC). The decision to adjourn was made by the full bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, who indicated that the EC’s explanation on the matter will be heard tomorrow.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, senior advocate Mohammad Hossain presented the plea before the court, while senior jurist Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Barrister AKM Ehsanur Rahman represented Ishraque Hossain. The legal proceedings originated from a writ filed by Supreme Court lawyer Md Mamunur Rashid on May 26 with the Appellate Division’s concerned wing.
Previously, on May 21, the High Court had dismissed a writ petition submitted by Rashid. This petition contested the verdict from the Dhaka First Joint District Judge and Election Tribunal, which declared BNP leader Ishraque Hossain as the mayor of DSCC. The High Court division bench comprising Justice Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury issued an order with the statement ‘Rejected summarily with observation and direction.’
The controversy dates back to March 27, when Judge Md Nurul Islam of the Dhaka First Joint District Judge and Election Tribunal annulled the results of the 2020 DSCC election, subsequently declaring BNP leader Ishraque Hossain as the DSCC mayor. Following this, on April 27, the Election Commission released a gazette notification confirming the BNP leader’s position as mayor.