The High Court (HC) on Tuesday passed a split order over BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s three writs filed against Election Commission (EC) decision to cancel her nomination papers to take part in the upcoming general polls.
A High Court division bench comprising Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md. Iqbal Kabir passed the order as the first one stayed the EC decision and issued a rule, while the other judge disagreed with his senior colleague.
“Now the matter will be sent to Chief Justice and he will forward the matter to a third bench for disposal,” Khaleda’s counsel Barrister Kaiser Kamal said.
Senior lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali moved the BNP chief’s case before the court, while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam stood for the state. Khaleda, convicted and sentenced to different jail terms in two graft cases, filed her nomination papers from jail to take part in the upcoming general polls from Feni-1, Bogura-6 and 7 constituencies.
The EC as per legal bindings cancelled her nomination papers on December 2, prompting Khaleda to appeal against the decision, which were also scrapped subsequently on December 8.
Later the BNP chief filed writs against the EC decision with the High Court.-BSS
bbarta/IF
