The process to grant Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain the status of a state minister has officially begun.
A letter signed by Deputy Secretary of Local Government Division, Md Firoz Mahmud, was sent to Cabinet Secretary on Sunday.
The letter states, “The D.O. letter regarding the conferral of state minister status to the Mayor of Chattogram City Corporation is hereby forwarded (copy attached). It is kindly requested that further action be taken in regard to the described D.O. letter.”
Dr. Shahadat Hossain contested the CCC election held on January 27, 2021, as a candidate from BNP. In that election, Awami League candidate Rezaul Karim Chowdhury secured 369,248 votes, while Dr. Hossain received 52,489 votes.
Subsequently, on February 24, 2021, Dr. Hossain filed a case alleging that Election Commission officials had rigged the results of the election.
Following a mass uprising led by students and general people, Awami League government was overthrown on August 5 of last year. On October 1, First Joint District Judge and Election Tribunal Judge of Chattogram, Khairul Amin, declared Dr. Shahadat Hossain as the rightful mayor.
The court also nullified the previous election results that had named Rezaul Karim Chowdhury as mayor.
Seven days later, on October 8, the Election Commission issued a gazette notification officially recognizing Dr. Shahadat Hossain as the mayor of Chattogram City Corporation.
He was formally sworn into office on November 3.
AH/SH
