The Election Commission today turned down BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s appeals against cancellation of her nomination papers by returning Officers, declaring her candidacies invalid.
The five-member Election Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda, announced the decision after hearing on her three appeals.
Earlier, Begum Zia submitted nominations papers for contesting in three parliamentary constituencies.
Four commissioners, including the CEC, rejected the petitions of the BNP chief filed challenging the decisions of returning officer’s cancellation of her nomination papers.
Begum Khaleda Zia filed nomination papers for three constituencies — Feni-1, Bogura-6 and Bogra-7– but the returning officers concerned rejected her nomination papers on December 2 for her conviction over two years according to the Representation of the People Order (RPO).
Later, three separate lawyers on behalf of Begum Zia filed appeals to the EC on December 5 against the returning officer’s rejection.-BSS
bbarta/KF
