WEB DESK
In a rare show of solidarity a group of Dhaka University students went on hunger strike today demanding postponement of the Dhaka City Corporation Mayoral elections scheduled for January 30 which is Saraswati Puja day in Bangladesh.
The students have been agitating for the deferment of the poll day as Saraswati Puja is one of the biggest festivals of Hindus in Bangladesh.
On Tuesday and Wednesday also the students had protested in the Dhaka University area for the same.
On Tuesday, the High Court had turned down a plea seeking to defer the City Corporation poll scheduled for January 30. The order of the High Court has been challenged in the Supreme court by the lawyer who had filed the case.
Meanwhile, Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said the Election Commission (EC) should have been cautious in fixing the poll date as it coincided with Saraswati Puja. However, he urged the demonstrators to respect the judgement of the court and refrain from protest.
The Awami League Mayoral Candidate for Dhaka North Atiqul Islam also urged the EC to defer the poll in view of Saraswati Puja falling on 30 January. Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad and the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian Unity Council also demanded a change in the election date.
Jatiya Oikya Front (JOF) convener Dr Kamal Hossain on Thursday said holding polls for Dhaka City corporations on the day of Saraswati Puja is an unjust act.