Gazipur City Polls: No bar for Zahangir to contest
The High Court yesterday ruled that Mohammad Zahangir Alam, suspended mayor of Gazipur City Corporation, can file nomination papers with the Election Commission in accordance with law for contesting the GCC mayoral election slated for May 25.
The bench of Justice Zafar Ahmed and Justice Md Bashir Ullah said Zahangir's writ challenging the legality of his suspension from the GCC mayoral office and the deferral of the verdict delivery will not bar him from submitting nomination papers.
The court passed the order following a prayer moved by Zahangir's lawyers.
Belayet Hossain, a lawyer for Zahangir, told The Daily Star that his client can contest the next GCC polls following the HC order.
Deputy Attorney General Nawroz MR Chowdhury agreed but said if there were any other reasons, such as defaulting on loans, may become an obstacle to his submission of nomination papers.
Earlier in the day, the HC bench deferred till May 2 the judgment on the petition filed by Zahangir.
The court was scheduled to deliver the verdict yesterday.
The bench deferred verdict delivery for a further hearing on sections 12 and 13 of the Local Government (City Corporation) Act-2009 regarding the suspension and dismissal of a city corporation mayor.
It asked the defence and state lawyers to submit by April 30 relevant documents regarding the sections before the court.
The court said it will hear the issues and start delivering verdict on May 2 and may continue delivering the judgement on May 3.
On August 23 last year, the HC issued a rule asking officials concerned of the government to explain why the decision of suspending Zahangir from the office of GCC mayor should not be declared illegal.
Zahangir was expelled from the Awami League for making derogatory comments about the martyrs of the Liberation War on November 25, 2021. He was suspended from the post of GCC mayor on the same day.
Senior lawyers M Yusuf Hossain Humayun and MK Rahman, and lawyer Belayet Hossain appeared for Zahangir while lawyer Sanjida Khanam argued for GCC and DAG Nawroz MR Chowdhury and Assistant Attorney General Golam Sarwar Payel represented the state.
Zahangir and several hundreds of his supporters were present on the court premises.
Comments