In a landmark ruling, a Chattogram court has declared Dr Shahadat Hossain as the mayor of Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), following a legal challenge regarding the 2021 elections.
The decision was announced on Tuesday (1 October) by the election tribunal and Joint District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Khairul Amin.
The court instructed that a gazette notification regarding the ruling be issued within the next ten days.
The plaintiff's lawyer, Advocate Arshad Hossain Asad, confirmed the ruling, which emerged from Dr Hossain’s petition seeking the annulment of the election results.
In the previous election, held on 27 January 2021, Mohammad Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of the Awami League was declared the winner, having defeated Dr Hossain by over three lakh votes.
Following the results, He filed a lawsuit contesting the validity of the election, citing significant irregularities and malpractice.
Despite the ongoing legal battle, Chowdhury assumed the role of mayor and served for over three years until the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August, after which he went into hiding.
Subsequently, Divisional Commissioner Tofail Islam was appointed as the administrator of the city corporation.
In his lawsuit, Dr Shahadat Hossain provided compelling evidence of alleged electoral fraud and called for a re-scheduling of the corporation elections and a re-election.
The lawsuit named former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda and then-mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, among others, as defendants.
This ruling marks a significant moment in the political landscape of Chattogram and raises questions about electoral integrity in the region.
