The Election Commission has written to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs seeking the latter鈥檚 opinion on publishing a gazette notification declaring Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Ishraq Hossain the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation.
EC senior secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Tuesday said that the commission would take further steps after receiving the ministry鈥檚 response.
He said that the EC on Tuesday sent the letter to the law ministry for its opinion on the directive received from the court to publish the gazette notification.
Ishraq had contested the DSCC mayoral election held on February 1, 2020 as the BNP candidate but was officially declared defeated, with the EC announcing Awami League鈥檚 Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh as the elected mayor.
On March 3, 2020, Ishraq filed a petition with the Election Tribunal under section 53 of the Local Government (City Corporation) Election Rules 2010, demanding the cancellation of the poll results and a re-election, citing irregularities and corruption.
The tribunal, presided over by Judge Md Nurul Islam, delivered its verdict on March 27 this year, annulling the gazette notification that had declared Taposh the winner.
Following the verdict, Ishraq led a celebratory procession on the court premises, expressing his satisfaction with the judgement.
Ishraq, a son of late Sadeque Hossain Khoka, a former mayor of undivided Dhaka City Corporation, said that he had received justice from the court.
He also said that his party would decide whether he would take the oath of office as DSCC mayor.
