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Dhaka, April 27, 2025 – The Election Commission (EC) has officially declared Mohammad Ishraq Hosen, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidate, as the Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) through a gazette notification. The announcement was confirmed by EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Sunday, as reported by Dhaka Post.
The decision follows a court ruling on March 27, 2025, which declared Ishraq Hosen the winner of the DSCC election held on February 1, 2020. The verdict, delivered by Dhaka’s First Joint District Judge Md. Nurul Islam, overturned the previous gazette that had recognized Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas, the Awami League candidate, as mayor. The court’s ruling came in response to a case filed by Ishraq Hosen on March 3, 2020, alleging irregularities, corruption, and unacceptable practices in the 2020 DSCC election.
Ishraq Hosen was present in court during the verdict. The ruling nullified the election results that had declared Tapas the mayor and instead recognized Ishraq, who contested under the BNP’s “Sheaf of Paddy” symbol, as the rightful winner.
According to Ishraq’s lawyer, Rafiqul Islam, the case was filed to challenge the election’s integrity and seek its cancellation. “We filed the case citing irregularities, corruption, and unacceptable conduct. The court has ruled in our favor and declared Ishraq Hosen as the mayor,” he said.
The 2020 DSCC election, held alongside the Dhaka North City Corporation election, saw Awami League candidates Atiqul Islam and Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas elected as mayors of the north and south corporations, respectively. The EC published the election gazette on February 2, 2020, and both mayors assumed office after taking their oaths. However, following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, both were removed from their positions.
The case filed by Ishraq named eight respondents, including then-Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda, Returning Officer Md. Abdul Baten, and Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas.
AI/MR
