DNCC Polls: Tabith for seeking all election-related documents

Nearly six months after the polls, BNP mayoral candidate Tabith Awal on Wednesday filed a petition with the election tribunal seeking a directive to the returning officer for providing him all the necessary documents related to the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) elections and the results.

On behalf of Tabith Awal, his lawyer Barrister AKM Ehsanur Rahman filed the petition with the election tribunal (Dhaka Joint District Judge Court-1).

Talking to UNB, Ehsan said Tabith earlier sent five letters to the Election Commission to provide him the documents related to the election and the results, but he still did not get those, forcing him to file the petition.

In the petition, he said the BNP candidate appealed to the tribunal to pass an order asking the returning officer to provide him documents, including records relating to a number of sealed EVMs handed over by the assistant returning officers to the presiding officers, all polling cards, audit cards and SD cards used in the EVMs in all the centres, the entire logbook containing the use of EVMs in the DNCC Election 2020, list of all election officials and others assigned to various duties and responsibilities and result copies printed out by presiding officers from the Control Unit of EVMs.

He said these documents are necessary for disposing of a petition filed by Tabith after the election challenging the election and its results.

Ehsan said the hearing on both the partitions is likely to be held after Eid-ul-Azha vacation.

Elections to the DNCC and DSCC were held on February 1 last when Awami League candidates Atiqul Islam and Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh won the mayoral posts.

A gazette notification was issued on February 4.