Mayors debarred

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The High Court (HC) Thursday rejected a writ petition, filed by the Dhaka city mayor, challenging the notice of Election Commission (EC) disqualifying mayors of city corporations and municipalities from taking part in the general elections as office of profit, reports BSS.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Tariq-ul-Hakim and Justice Farah Mahbub passed the orders after the rule hearing of a writ petition filed by Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka challenging the legality of the EC decision.
The EC on November 17 had issued a notice saying the mayor would be disqualified from participating in the general elections, as it was a post of office of profit.
On November 25, the same bench issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to show cause in four weeks why the decision barring the mayors from contesting the upcoming general elections should not be declared illegal and without lawful authority.
The HC bench also stayed the operation of the EC decision for four weeks.