Leave to appeal petition filed against verdict declaring Ishraque DSCC mayor

A leave to appeal petition was filed with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today challenging a High Court order that upheld a Dhaka tribunal's verdict and the Election Commission's decision declaring BNP-nominated candidate Mohammad Ishraque Hossain as mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).

Mamunur Rashid, the writ petitioner who had earlier moved the writ petition before the High Court against the tribunal's judgment and the EC's notification, filed the petition, his lawyer Mohammad Hossain Lipu told The Daily Star.

In the leave to appeal, Mamunur Rashid prayed for a stay on both the tribunal verdict and the EC's gazette notification declaring Ishraque the mayor.

The petition is likely to be heard before the Supreme Court's Chamber Judge later in the day, the lawyer added.

On May 22, the High Court summarily rejected Mamunur Rashid's writ petition, which had sought a stay on the lower court judgment and the EC's decision.

The HC order cleared the way for Ishraque to be sworn in as DSCC mayor.

The bench of Justice Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury came up with the order saying that the writ petition is not acceptable as the petitioner has no locus standi (right) to move such a petition before this court.

Earlier, on March 27 this year, Dhaka's First Joint District Judge and Election Tribunal Judge Md Nurul Islam overturned the results of the 2020 DSCC election and declared Ishraque the winner, directing the EC to issue a gazette notification within ten days.

The Election Commission complied on April 27.