Election commissioner M. Shahnewaz told journalists on Tuesday that the Election Commission (EC) has decided that it will conduct the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) poll after the areas of the DCC wards are delimited. Following a meeting at the EC secretariat, Shahnewaz observed that to complete the election process of the divided DCC, the task of demarcating areas should be completed; otherwise aggrieved person(s) can challenge the move and obstruct the process.
“A debate has started about the fate of Sultanganj union, which is part of south Dhaka, as we have not been able to incorporate its electorate in the voter list. This is because the area is divided into two parts. However, we will announce the election schedule of Gazipur and Kisorganj-4 tomorrow,” Shahnewaz said.
Dhaka city has 92 wards. Of these, 56 come under Dhaka South City Corporation, while Dhaka North City Corporation has 36 wards.
According to the EC secretariat, the government wants to complete the DCC election before Ramadan. In order to implement this plan, the local government has sent a request letter to the EC to hold the two Dhaka City Corporation elections, excluding 13 areas of Sultanganj union which were earlier included in the Dhaka South City Corporation.
“We do not agree with the government’s stand. We have held a discussion and taken our decision,” a senior official of the EC told The Independent.
Last week the High Court cleared the way for holding the election to the split Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), vacating its earlier order that had stayed the process of holding the elections. The HC issued the order rejecting a writ petition that was filed challenging the schedule for holding the polls.
The Dhaka City Corporation was split into two units — South and North — on November 30, 2011, through the passage of a bill that amended the 2009 local government act. According to the EC, old Dhaka, along with Motijheel, Ramna, Khilgaon, Demra, Sabujbagh and Dhanmondi come under Dhaka South. Dhaka North includes Uttara, Baddah, Baridhara, Banani, Gulshan, Rampura, Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Mohammadpur, Kafrul, Pallabi and Mirpur.
The last election to Dhaka City Corporation was held in April 2002.
-With The Independent input
