HC asks govt to justify DCC split

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The High Court (HC) has asked the government why the bill to split the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) should not be declared a bad law, inconsistent with the constitution, and therefore, void, report agencies. The bench of justices Farid Ahmed and Sheikh Hassan Arif issued the rule following a petition filed by outgoing Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka Wednesday. The HC, however, passed split orders on maintaining status quo on the functioning of the outgoing DCC mayor and commissioners. Now the matter will be disposed of by a third judge of the HC, said a government attorney. Dr Kamal Hossain and Akhtar Imam appeared for Khoka while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam for the government. The petition said the passage of the bill has been skirted several constitutional bindings. The state minister for local government has said that the government will select administrators for the two new parts of DCC from bureaucrats, not politicians. "They will be appointed once the president approves the bill to split the DCC that was passed in parliament," Jahangir Kabir Nanok told reporters at the Secretariat on the day. Parliament passed the bill Tuesday dividing it into Dhaka North City Corporation with 36 wards and Dhaka South City Corporation having 56 wards, amidst protests by the opposition outside. Another report adds: The Election Commission thinks it will be difficult to hold elections in Dhaka's two city corporations in 90 days after a gazette is published as it is running out of time. "We might be able to announce the schedule. But, the next commission will have to conduct the elections. That commission will face problems in conducting the ballot after taking office," election commissioner M Sakhawat Hossain told reporters. The time of the current EC, headed by A T M Shamsul Huda, will expire in the second week of February next year. According to the Local Government (City Corporation) Bill (amendment) - 2011, elections are to be held within 90 days in Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporations by appointing administrators.