C T Online Desk: BNP leader Dr Shahadat Hossain is set to take his oath as the mayor of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) on November 3.
The swearing-in ceremony will take place at 11:30am that day, according to Sheikh Mohammad Touhidul Islam, chief executive officer of CCC.
Touhidul Islam said: “I was informed via a letter from the ministry regarding the arrangement of Dr Shahadat Hossain’s swearing-in as mayor.”
A letter, signed by Mahbuba Irene, deputy secretary of the Local Government Division, and addressed to the CCC chief executive officer,said that the ceremony will be held in the Local Government Division’s conference room.
AF Hassan Arif, adviser to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, has agreed to administer the oath to the newly elected mayor.
The letter also requested immediate notification if any court orders or legal complications arise regarding the oath-taking ceremony.
Another letter highlighted the legal requirement for the newly elected mayor to submit an affidavit detailing his assets in accordance with Sections 8(1) and (2) of the Local Government (City Corporation) Act 2009. It instructed the CCC to submit this affidavit on a non-judicial stamp worth Tk300 to the Local Government Division within two working days.
Earlier, on October 1, the Joint District and Sessions Judge and Election Tribunal of Chittagong, Mohammad Khairul Amin, declared Dr Shahadat Hossain as the mayor in response to a lawsuit regarding the CCC election.
The court also instructed the Election Commission Secretary to publish the gazette within 10 days.
In the January 27, 2021, CCC election, Awami League candidate Rezaul Karim Chowdhury was initially declared the winner with 369,248 votes, while Dr Shahadat Hossain, the BNP candidate, received 52,489 votes.
However, on October 8, the Election Commission announced Dr Shahadat as the winner and published the gazette the same night.
