As the newly-elected mayors of both Dhaka city corporations will have to wait for more than three months to take over duties, seniormost panel mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) will perform duties as mayor of the DNCC in the interim.

Ward-4 councillor Mohammad Zamal Mostafa will take the charge on Sunday, as the seniormost councillor of the current three-member mayoral panel.

 A gazette was issued by the government on Thursday in this regard. It  said according to section 21 (2) of the Local Government (city  corporation) Act 2009, seniormost member of the existing panel mayors will  play the duty of mayor until the elected mayor takes office.

“I will take charge as a mayor on Sunday,” said Zamal Mostafa, who was reelected in ward-4 of DNCC in the immediate past city corporation election.

As DNCC’s immediate past mayor Atiqul Islam took part in the election,  he resigned from his mayoral post on December 30, 2019. Since then, DNCC has been running without any mayor.

KHOKON TO CONTINUE IN DSCC

In Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), current mayor Sayeed Khokon will discharge his duties till completing his five-year tenure.

“My five years’ tenure will be completed on May 17 as per the first board meeting; until then, I will discharge my duties as mayor,” Khokon said.

MOSTAFA’S SECOND STINT

The government on September 4, 2017 formed a three-member panel to discharge the duties of DNCC Mayor Annisul Huq in his absence, after the mayor was hospitalised at that time.

The mayoral panel was formed as per the Local Government (City Corporation) Amendment Act-2009.

The panel members included ward-21 councilor Osman Gani, ward-4 councillor Mohammad Zamal Mostofa and councillor of reserved seat of ward-31, 32 and 34 Aleya Sarowar Daisy.

But after the death of Osman on September 21, 2018, Zamal, the next senior member of the panel, discharged the duty as mayor until immediate past mayor Atiqul Islam took charge in March last year.

Atiqul took oath after being elected in the by-polls on March 6, 2019.

According to officials of DSCC and DNCC, the two newly-elected mayors will have to wait for more than three months as the current tenure of DSCC board will end on May 17, while the current tenure of DNCC board will end on May 13.

The first board meeting of the DNCC was held on May 13, 2015 while the first board meeting of the DSCC was held on May 16, 2015.

Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh has been elected the mayor of DSCC and Atiqul Islam was reelected in DNCC in the elections held on February 1.

It should be mentioned that the city corporations are run through the Local Government Act. As per the Act, “No newly elected mayor or ward councillor will be able to take over his or her charge until the tenure of their previous elected mayor or ward councillor is over.”

According to the Local Government (city Corporation) Act-2009, the five-year tenure of mayors and councillors start from the first board meeting of its formation. However, it also has a condition that the previous board will be able to continue their duties, until the first board meeting of newly-formed city corporation is held.

The EC on February 5 circulated gazettes regarding the newly-elected mayors of DSCC and DSCC, as well as ward councillors of both the city corporations.

The gazettes were circulated three days after the February 1 elections.