Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Wednesday directed the Election Commission not to accept the amended constitution of BNP as it has deleted the provision against convicted, bankrupt, insane, corrupt or notorious individuals from being BNP candidate for contesting Jatiya Sangsad election.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Mohammad Ali passed the order and also issued a rule after hearing a writ petition filed by BNP activist Mozammel Hossain from Mirpur challenging the amendment to BNP’s constitution.
In the rule, the HC asked the respondents to explain as to why deletion of the provision, restricting a person convicted of corruption to hold the office, should not be declared illegal as it violates Article 66(2)(d) of the Constitution of the republic.
Secretary to the Local Government and Rural Development Ministry, Chief Election Commissioner, Secretary to the Election Commission, Acting Chairman of BNP and its Secretary General have been made respondents to the rule.
The court ordered the Election Commission to dispose of the petition within a month placed by Mozammel Hossain challenging the amendment to BNP’s constitution and not to accept the amended constitution of BNP till disposal of Mozammel’s application and to submit a report to the HC in a month.
The concerned provision has been replaced with the inclusion that the “head official” of BNP will hold the office of the Chairperson; and any person less than 30 years cannot be the “head official” of the party.
Advocate Momtaz Uddin Mehedi appeared in the court for the petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General K M Masud Rumi stood for the State.
No lawyer was present on behalf of BNP.
After the court order, Masud Rumi said, “Mozammel Hossain said that he is a BNP activist. He submitted an application in the Election Commission office on Tuesday so that the EC does not accept the BNP’s amended charter. If this charter is accepted then the corrupt persons will get the chance to be a Parliament Member. The court passed order being pleased with our submission.”
