The Supreme Court (SC) has stayed for six weeks the High Court (HC) verdict prohibiting Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka from contesting the upcoming parliamentary'election.

Chamber judge of the Appellate Division Justice Md Joynul Abedin also asked Khoka to file a regular leave to

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appeal with the SC against the IK verdict within the time period.

The SC order came on December 8 upon a provisional leave to appeal filed by Khoka for staying the HC verdict.

Khoka's counsel barrister Rafique ul Huq told The Daily Star that following the Supreme Court order there was no legal bar to contesting the December 29 parliamentary election by Khoka On December 4, the HC bench of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice Farah Mahbub upon a writ petition filed by Khoka upheld the Election Commission's (EC) decision, banning city corporation mayors from contesting the parliamentary election.

The court also dismissed the writ petition challenging the EC’s decision.

The EC on November 17 decided that mayors are not qualified to contest the national election since they hold office of profit.