BNP on Sunday alleged that its Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s nomination was revoked by the Election Commission (EC) at the ‘behest’ of the government.
“Ignoring the right judgment of a commissioner, the other commissioners, led by Chief Election Commissioner, annulled her (Khaleda’s) nomination through a dissenting and questionable order,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, he also said the EC unnecessarily bought time in disposing of the appeals of their chairperson against returning officers’ rejection of her nominations for Feni-1, Bogura-6 and 7 seats.
Before the EC’s final order, Rizvi said, Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader at a press conference in Noakhali said Khaleda Zia could not join the election legally while an Awami League delegation, led by Jahangir Kabir Nanak, went to the Commission to ‘warn’ it about the matter. “Few hours later, the Commission cancelled her nomination.”
He alleged that the Awami League delegation went to the EC to ‘ask it to reject’ Khaleda Zia’s appeals.On Saturday, the Election Commission upheld returning officers’ decisions cancelling the candidature of jailed BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for the forthcoming national election.
Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda and three election commissioners –Rafiqul Islam, Kabita Khanam and Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury — rejected Khaleda’s appeals, while election commissioner MahbubTalukder accepted her candidature. Rizvi said though there was no legal bar for Khaleda to joining the election, the EC made her ineligible for the election as part of a ‘deep-rooted plot’.
He said the Commission announced valid the nominations of many convicted candidates like Pankaj Debnatth, Haji Mohammad Salim, Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir and Nazmul Huda. “Then why is not Begum Zia? The CEC cancelled Khaleda Zia’s nomination being dictated by Sheikh Hasina (PM).”
About the demonstration by the supporters of their party’s aspirants who were not given party ticket, Rizvi hoped that they will end their protest soon and work as a team to ensure the victory of the party for having Khaleda Zia freed from jail.
source: UNB
