The country's apex court on Monday curbed the way for BNP candidates for Dhaka 1, Dhaka 7, Bogra 3, Bogra 7 and Manikganj 3 constituencies to participate in the 11th parliamentary election slated for December 30.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court ruled that Abdul Muhit Talukdar and Sarkar Badal cannot contest the election from Bogura-3 and Bogura-7 respectively for not stepping down from the chairman post.
Besides, Tamijuddin cannot take part in the election from Dhaka 20 as his resignation was not accepted.
The Appellate Division bench, led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed the orders after hearing separate petitions.
Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali and Prabir Niyogi stood for the BNP candidates while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Advocate Obaidur Rahman Mostafa represented the Election Commission.
The Election Commission, however, cleared Tamijuddin for the polls, which was later stayed by the High Court.
Tamijuddin moved the chamber judge’s court to secure freeze on the High Court order, but on Monday the chief justice-led appeals bench ruled against him.
Bogra candidates Muhit Talukder and Sarkar Badal moved the High Court and managed to secure a stay order on the commission’s decision to scrap their nomination. But the chamber judge froze the order, which was upheld by the top court on Monday.
In another order, the seven-member Appellate Division bench upheld an HC order that had stayed the nomination of BNP candidate Afroza Khan Rita for Manikganj 3 constituency on loan default charge.
The High Court on December 12 stayed the commission's nomination approval after hearing a writ petition filed by Sonali Bank Ltd accusing Rita, daughter of late BNP leader Harunur Rashid Khan Monno, of loan default.
Meanwhile, the High Court issued a rule staying the commission’s decision that had legalized the nomination of BNP candidate for Dhaka-1 constituency Khandker Abu Ashfaq.
A bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Jalal Uddin, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh contestant for the parliamentary seat.
AM Amin Uddin who stood for the petitioner said Ashfaq filed the nomination with RO before his resignation from the post of upazila chairman was accepted.
