25 Jamaat leaders have no bar to contest polls: HC

The High Court on Thursday cleared the way for 25 Jamaat-e-Islami leaders to contest the 11th parliamentary election on 30 December, reports UNB.

The court declined to direct the election commission to treat the Jamaat men disqualified for contesting the election.

Following the HC order, Ruhul Kuddus Kajol, a counsel of the Jamaat leaders, said there will be no bar for the Jamaat leaders from contesting the upcoming election.

The HC bench of justice JBM Hassan and justice Md Khairul Alam issued a rule asking the EC and the government to explain in four weeks why the EC’s decision should not be declared illegal.

Earlier on Wednesday, a writ petition was filed with the High Court challenging the election commission's decision to approve the candidacies of 25 Jamaat-e-Islami leaders for the upcoming 11th general election.

Lawyer Tania Amir filed the petition on behalf of four people including Bangladesh Tarikat Federation secretary general Syed Rezaul Haque Chandpuri.

The petition was filed as a supplementary writ challenging the EC's decision that rejected an application for cancellation of the Jamaat leaders' candidacy.

Earlier on Sunday, the election commission (EC) declared that 25 Jamaat-e-Islami leaders can be there in the election race as the commission has no authority to revoke their candidatures since they are contesting the polls as BNP and independent candidates as it has no legal jurisdiction to annul their candidacies.

Of the 25 candidates, 22 are contesting the election with Sheaf of Paddy while the rest are independent ones.

On 18 December, the High Court asked the EC to dispose of the application filed for cancelling the candidacies of 25 Jamaat-e-Islami men by three working days.

Four individuals filed a writ with the High Court challenging the eligibility of those candidates to remain there in the election race.