The Awami League has submitted a letter to the Election Commission asking it to take action against convict Tarique Rahman's video conference.
An 11-member representative team led by the Awami League Presidium member Col (retd) Faruk Khan handed over the letter to the Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed on Sunday evening.
The reaction came after BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman, who is currently living in the UK, interviewed nomination-aspirants via a video conference in the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office earlier in the day.
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As Tarique is a political asylee living abroad, conducting a video conference during the interview of the nomination seekers is a violation of the electoral law, Faruk said. "He does not even have the jurisdiction to serve as the acting chairperson."
Awami League has also requested the media to not publish anything Tarique had said during the video conference.
General Secretary of the ruling party Obaidul Quader also urged the Election Commission to look into whether Tarique can participate in election activities or not.
BNP: Tarique's participation completely legal
In response to Awami League's comments, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said Tarique can take part in all election processes until the Supreme Court reaches a decision regarding his participation.
"Until then, there is no point in raising questions about it," he said at a press conference at the BNP's Naya Paltan office on Sunday.
What does the EC say?
Election Commissioner Md Rafiqul Islam, after hearing of Tarique's video conference, said if anyone could come up with any evidence, submitted a complaint and that it caused any legal violation, the commission would take steps against the matter.
"If the issue does not fall under any law, then we will have a meeting regarding it and take whatever steps maybe necessary," he said earlier in the day.
"If, while serving jail time, Tarique had been in Bangladesh, such an act would not be permitted," he said. "But if he had received bail, it would not have been an issue."
