BNP waiting for Tarique's call on DNCC polls

BNP will wait to hear a final call of its acting Chairman Tarique Rahman before taking a step towards Dhaka North City Corporation’s by-election.

The party’s policymakers will meet on this issue tonight, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of the party, told reporters this morning.

“After discussing the matter with our acting chairperson we will decide," Fakhrul said while visiting the grave of Arafat Rahman Koko at Banani.

Fakhrul alleged, the present autocratic government is trying to eliminate Zia family and has imprisoned Khaleda Zia in line with that plan.

The DNCC by-election will be held on February 28 to fill the seat of deceased mayor Annisul Huq.

DNCC BY-POLLS

Election to councillor posts in the 36 new wards -- 18 under the DNCC and 18 under the Dhaka South City Corporation -- will be held on February 28.

According to the polls schedule, the last date for filing nomination papers for both in the DNCC by-polls and election to the new wards is January 30.

The returning officers will scrutinise the nomination papers on February 2, and the last date for withdrawing candidacy is February 9.

On January 16, the court cleared the way for the DNCC by-election and election in the new wards.

The DNCC mayoral post fell vacant following the death of Annisul Huq on November 30, 2017. He was elected mayor on April 28, 2015.

On January 9 last year, the EC had declared the schedule of the DNCC by-polls and election in the new wards, setting February 26 for the voting day.

The polls were not held as the HC stayed the election schedule for six months. The court order came following filing of three writ petitions that challenged the legality of the schedule.