SC defers hearing on pleas over GCC polls’ stay order

The Supreme Court today deferred for a day the hearing on the petitions seeking stay on the HC order that halted the process for holding Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) election.

The SC decided to hear the petitions tomorrow after lawyer of Election Commission (EC) Advocate Obaidur Rahman Mostofa informed the court that EC would move a petition before it today against the HC order.

Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, who was presiding over the four-member bench, asked the EC lawyer why the EC is so late about filing the petition as BNP-nominated mayoral candidate Hasan Uddin Sarkar and ruling Awami League backed candidate Jahangir Alam have already filed the petitions.

Advocate Obaidur Rahman replied that he got instruction from the EC yesterday for moving the petition against the HC order.

Then, the CJ said all the petitions will be heard tomorrow.

The SC was scheduled today for holding hearing on the petition filed by Hasan Uddin and Jahangir Alam seeking stay on the HC order.

Following a writ petition, the High Court on May 6 stayed the Gazipur City Corporation election for three months with the Election Commission entirely in the dark about the development.

In his petition, Shimulia union Chairman ABM Azharul Islam argued that the LGRD ministry issued a gazette notification on March 4 including the six mouzas of the union in the Gazipur city without informing the Dhaka district administration.