AL hails EC decision on Khaleda’s polls nomination as ‘proof of level playing field’

The Awami League has praised the Election Commission for rejecting BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s nomination papers for the parliamentary election due to her conviction for corruption.

The ruling party says the EC decision has proved that “the playing field is level and all are equal in the eyes of the law”.

After scrutiny, returning officers in Feni and Bogura on Sunday rejected former prime minister Khaleda’s nomination by the BNP as its candidate for three seats. 

The returning officers cited the two prison terms, both over two years, that the BNP chairperson has received over graft.

BNP officials said they will challenge the rejections with the EC, claiming the commission’s decision on Khaleda’s nomination was part “of the government’s plans”.

Khaleda has been in jail since February. She is serving total 17 years in two corruption cases.

BNP leaders had been hopeful that she would be able to compete in the Dec 30 general election by appealing against the trial court judgments. They had also nominated her for the three seats.

But the High Court last week said people sentenced to two or more years in prison are not qualified for elections even if their appeals are pending.

That prevents Khaleda and several other BNP leaders from standing in the parliamentary elections. The BNP has prepared three alternative candidates to run in the polls from the seats approved for Khaleda.

When the EC made the decision on Khaleda’s nomination, Md Faruk Khan, chairman of the Awami League sub-committee on election, was there as part of a party delegation to meet the commissioners.

“This is level playing ground. The law is equal for all. It’s not that the law will be different for a party chief. It has proved that level playing field exists in Bangladesh,” Faruk said about the EC decision on Khaleda.

Asked about the BNP allegation that the government had planned the rejection of Khaleda’s nomination, the AL sub-committee Co-Chairman HT Imam said the allegation was “meaningless” because the BNP agreed to join the election with the Awami League in power though it demands nonpartisan polls-time government.

The member of the Awami League Advisory Council also alleged that the BNP leaders rather were violating election laws by “making provocative remarks”.

“They have threatened the Election Commission and the Awami League. What does it mean? It’s a clear violation of the electoral code of conduct. We’ve urged the commission to issue specific directives in this regard,” said Imam, the political adviser to the prime minister.