The BNP will wait until the end of it, as the issue is still on trial, said the party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi in a press briefing following the court’s order on Tuesday.
Rizvi alleged that the government “conspired” for the split verdict from the court.
Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir had earlier heard petitions challenging the Election Commission’s decision to scrap the BNP chief’s nominations for three parliamentary races.
On Tuesday, the bench issued a ‘divided’ order on the petition. Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed issued a rule with a directive to the Election Commission to accept Khaleda’s nomination.
Justice Md Iqbal Kabir, on the other hand, expressed his disagreement, blocking Khaleda from contesting the election.
The matter now shifted to the chief justice for the final decision as the judges were divided over the issue. The chief justice will form a third bench to settle the petition.
“It is clear that the government is working behind the court like a puppeteer. Otherwise there would have been no split verdict,” said Rizvi.
“Khaleda Zia is the most popular leader in the country. I can challenge Sheikh Hasina that she will not even get a third of the votes Khaleda will win, if a fair election takes place,” Rizvi said.
“That’s why the government is plotting to keep Khaleda Zia away from the election and to defer the process. It is nothing but part of their election engineering.”
Rizvi gave an account of the Awami League leaders and activists attacking their counterparts in Jamalpur, Chattogram, Sherpur, Cumilla and Chuadanga with support from the law-enforcement agents.
He also provided a list of the BNP leaders and activists arrested in Chandpur, Dhaka, Tangail, Bhola, Netrokona and Kushtia on Monday.