They're not Jamaat candidates
BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan yesterday said the Jamaat-e-Islami has no candidate for the December 30 polls.
“They [Jamaat leaders contesting the election] are BNP-nominated contenders. They are contesting the election with BNP's [electoral] symbol 'sheaf of paddy'. They were not nominated by the Jamaat,” he said after submitting a letter to the chief election commissioner's office at the Nirbachon Bhaban.
“The Election Commission has accepted their candidacies. If there had been any issue, the commission would have rejected their candidacies, instead of giving them the symbols,” he said.
The BNP leader was replying to reporters' queries on a High Court directive to the EC on disposing of an application filed for cancelling candidacies of 25 Jamaat leaders.
While delivering the letter, the BNP team led by Nazrul demanded the EC create scopes for fielding alternative candidates or reschedule the polling in the constituencies where party candidates have been disqualified by the HC on different grounds.
He alleged that the government was creating obstacles for foreign observers to monitor the election.
Yesterday, the ruling Awami League in another letter urged the EC not reschedule the election in those constituencies.
After submitting the letter to the CEC's office, AL central leader M Akhtaruzzaman told reporters that there was no scope for rescheduling the election under the Representation of the People Order (RPO).
The party also sought steps from the EC to stop “attacks on its campaigns in different parts of the country” and demanded measures to prevent “attacks on the minorities”.
Meanwhile, Projonmo 71, an organisation of children of martyrs, and Gourab 71, a cultural platform, yesterday urged the EC to scrap the candidacies of the 25 Jamaat leaders.
RESTRICTION ON JOURNOS' BIKES
Journalists, deployed on the election day, will not be able to use motorbikes.
Journalists and election observers would be provided with stickers for their motor vehicles, not for their bikes, according to EC guidelines on journalists issued yesterday.
The guidelines said no one would be allowed to telecast live from polling booths. If any media outlet wants to telecast anything live, it would have to do that from a “safe distance” from the booths.
No one would also be allowed to broadcast any election activities on social media, including Facebook.
All media people would have to refrain from any activities which might obstruct vote casting, according to the guidelines.
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