SC stays HC order on accepting 2 BNP candidates’ nomination

The Supreme Court today stayed for two days the High Court orders that directed the Election Commission to accept the nomination papers of BNP candidates Badal Sarker and Abdul Muhit Talukder and allow them to contest the upcoming election.

Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC, passed the orders following two separate petitions filed by the EC seeking stay on the HC orders.

The apex court chamber judge also sent the stay petitions to its full bench for their hearing on Thursday.

It depends on the Appellate Division full bench’s order whether Badal and Muhit can run the December 30 election, Barrister Quamrun Mahmud Deepa, a lawyer for the EC, told The Daily Star.

Now, they cannot run the polls, as the SC chamber judge stayed the HC order on them, she said.

The EC recently upheld the returning officers' cancellation of their nomination papers on the ground that Badal and Muhit are holding the offices of two upazilaparishads in Bogura which are a profitable post.

Following two separate writ petitions, the HC on December 9 directed the EC to accept their nomination papers and allow them to contest the upcoming election.

Attorney General MahbubeyAlam and Advocate Md Obaidur Rahman appeared for the EC.