Sader Hossein Bolu, Nawabganj
No election has been been held at the first category Dohar Municipality under Dhaka for
last 20-year. Residents of the Municipality complained, due to influence of a section of political leaders and availing of various financial benefits, the holding of elections at the Municipality is being thwarted again and again and thus depriving them from the right of franchaise.
According to Dohar Upazila Election Office sources, the first ever election of Dohar Municipality was held on 26 Sepember 2000. Later on several cases were filed on complication of determining the area and of the voter lists.
Just three-day ahead of holding the elections of the Municipality in 2013, one Abdus Sobhan of Charaltakhola village and Mozibar Rahman of Kanthalighata village filed a writ petition with the High Court on complication of area demarkation and thus suspending the holding of the elections.
The plaintiffs of the case, however, withdrew the cases in 2019 and a High Court bennch comprised of Justice Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Mohammad Ali ordered to hold the election of the Municiplaity within 90-day. Accordingly, the Election Commission fixed the date of holding the election of the Municiplaity on October-14,2019. The schedule of the elections was also announced and District Senior Election Officer Faisal Quader was appointed as the Returning Officer and Upazila Election Officer Rezaul Islam was appointed as Assistant Returning Officer to hold the elections. But, the election was not held on October-14,2019.
It is learnt, the Dohar Municipality with 56,000 voters, is runnicing without any elected public representative for decades. As a result, there is no accountability among the incumbent non-elected representatives of the Municipality. Residents of the municipality suffer a lot for any job including availing of a trade license, birth registration certificate and such other jobs.
Salma begum of Joypara muncipal area complained it took 20-25 days to get a birth registration certificate.
Reajaul Islam, Election Officer of Dohar informed, the uoazila election office was ready to hold the election at any time. He said, he came to learn that the Ministry of Local Goverment was working for area demakation of the municiplaity.
Incumbent Mayor of Dohar Municipality Alhaj Abdur Rahim Mia informed, he will not participate into the election because of his old age. He said, the complains regarding delay and corruption regarding issuing of birth registration certificate and trade license is not correct.