Inu faction gets 'torch'
The Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) faction led by Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu was given 'moshal' (torch) as its electoral symbol by the Election Commission yesterday.
However, Sharif Nurul Ambia-led JSD faction has described the EC's decision as unexpected and said the commission had made the decision to serve "the purpose of vested quarters".
Explaining the EC's decision, Election Commissioner Shah Nawaz said, "We heard statements of both factions, scrutinised the party's constitution and other documents, and then we made the decision.
"As per the constitution, the faction which is run by the leadership elected by party delegates deserves the 'torch' symbol," the commissioner told journalists at his office.
Inu and Shirin Akhter were elected president and general secretary by party delegates, and so they got the official symbol of the JSD, Shah Nawaz said.
Questioning the decision, Ambia told The Daily Star, "We will go to court challenging the election commission's decision."
The JSD-led by Inu split into two factions following a feud over electing the party's general secretary at its national council on March 12.
Ambia and lawmaker Nazmul Haque Prodhan were made president and general secretary by the other faction.
Following the split, both groups sent separate letters to the EC, each claiming 'torch' as their electoral symbol.
On April 6, the EC sat with leaders of both the factions separately to hear their claims and the supporting statements.
The JSD is a component of the ruling Awami League-led 14-party alliance. There are six JSD lawmakers in the incumbent parliament. Three of them contested the 10th parliamentary election with the AL electoral symbol 'boat', two with the JSD's 'torch' symbol and the other was elected to reserved seat for women.
The Ambia-led faction claims the two MPs who were elected with 'torch' symbol are now with them.
Now that the Inu-led faction has got 'torch' as its electoral symbol, if the two lawmakers are suspended from the party, their parliament memberships might get cancelled, according to some EC officials.
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