EC asks aspirants to remove campaign posters, banners in seven days

The Election Commission (EC) has set a seven-day deadline to remove campaign posters and banners used by aspirants of the upcoming city polls in Dhaka, reports bdnews24.com.

In a letter, it asked the Dhaka Divisional Commissioner on Sunday to take necessary measures.

The polls to elect a Dhaka North City mayor will be held in the last week of February, with the full schedule expected to be announced in the second week of January.

Voters will also elect councillors in the 36 new wards of the North and South City Corporations.

The EC said in the letter to the Dhaka Division's administration chief that posters and banners used by people seeking to contest the polls must be removed by midnight on January 6.

The commission said the polls aspirants have to make sure they have been taken down or else will face legal action.

It would be considered as an offence in line with the electoral code and could lead to six months in jail or Tk 50,000 fine or both.

The EC reserves the right to scrap a person's candidacy for violating the code of conduct.

The Dhaka North mayoral seat was vacated following the death of Annisul Huq.

The previous polls for the two Dhaka city corporations were held on April 28, 2015. Huq won it with support from the Awami League.

Huq was two years into his term when he was hospitalised for cerebral vasculitis in July during a trip to London. He died on November 30.