DHAKA: Dhaka City Corporation (DCC--South and North) election had not been held for last seven years as the Awami League government did not show interest in the election.

The Election Commission (EC) officials said they sent letter to Local Government Ministry. But they failed to organize for the election for legal barriers as the ministry doesn’t pay heed to the commission’s repeated requests for solving the problem.

According to City Corporation Election Law, election should be held within 180 days of establishing new corporation and 180 days before completing the tenure of previous.

In the fiscal year of 2014-15, the government didn’t allot anything for the DCC elections. They allotted Tk 78 crore for some election, including Chittagong City Corporation Election, EC sources said. 

The sources said last election was held on April 25, 2002. On this account next election was supposed to held on 2007.

On November 29, 2011, the government split the DCC into two bodies, effectively partitioning the capital and forming Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).

On April 9, 2012, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin announced the election schedules for the split DCCs, fixing May 24 for voting. But, a writ petition stalled the election process halfway through.

Later, fresh complexities arose as the Local Government Ministry demarcated the Wards No 55, 56 and 57 following Cadastral Survey (CS), hampering compactness of locality, lane and street. Hence, the voter lists cannot be prepared as voters of the same locality, lane and street overlap in more than two wards.

Election Commissioner Md. Shah Nawaz said to banglanews that for some complexion and negligence of local government ministry the DCC election delayed.  

BDST: 1618 HRS, JUN 22, 2014