BNP leader Shahadat Hossain declared Ctg mayor by court

A Chittagong court on Tuesday declared BNP leader Dr Shahadat Hossain as the mayor of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) in a case filed by him three years ago seeking cancellation of the election results.

The court, in its order, also directed the government to publish a gazette notification in this regard within the next 10 days.

The Court of First Joint District and Sessions and Election Tribunal Judge Mohammad Khairul Amin delivered the verdict.

The plaintiff's counsel Advocate Mafizul Huque Bhuiyan said the BNP-backed mayoral candidate Dr Shahadat Hossain filed the case on February 24, 2021, against nine people, including the election commissioner, bringing allegation of vote rigging. The then CCC mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, returning officer Md Hasanuzzaman, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda and six others were made accused in the case.

"The court has found the evidence of vote rigging in the Chittagong City Corporation election held in 2021. Because of it, the court has declared BNP candidate Shahadat Hossain as the mayor. The court also directed the government to publish a gazette notification in this regard within the next 10 days," he said.