Alamgir, Babar get back candidacy

Chamber judge of the Supreme Court's Appellate Division yesterday directed the Election Commission to accept the candidacy of Awami League leader Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir and BNP leader Lutfozzaman Babar for the December 29 general election.
The EC disqualified the two from the polls on grounds of their convictions under the now repealed Emergency Powers Rules, 2007.
Justice Md Joynal Abedin also stayed the High Court (HC) orders upholding the EC decisions.
Earlier in the day, the full-bench Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice MM Ruhul Amin dropped from its cause list Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir's appeal against the HC order for lacking necessary documents.
Alamgir, former state minister for planning, filed nomination for election in Chandpur-1 and Babar, former state minister for home, in Netrakona-4.
In another development yesterday, the Appellate Division vacated its chamber judge's order directing the commission to accept the nomination papers of BNP leader Shahidul Alam Talukder for Patuakhali -2.
The ruling came on a petition filed by another BNP candidate Engineer AKM Farooq Ahmed Talukder.
The apex court however snubbed Jatiya Party leader Abdul Bari's appeal against the EC's decision disqualifying his bid to contest the Naogaon-5 seat.
The same day the HC directed the commission to allow Mohammad Shahjahan and ANM Abed Raja of BNP to run for Chandpur-4 and Moulvibazar-2.
During hearing, lawyers for Mohiuddin and Babar said there are precedents for individuals who had been earlier sentenced to jail terms contesting the elections. They cited HM Ershad's name as an example.
Rokanuddin Mahmud, counsel for Mohiuddin, told The Daily Star that the regular appeal against the HC order upholding EC's decision ruling his client out of the parliamentary race would be heard later.
Babar's lawyer Ahsanul Karim said that as per the constitution, the persons convicted of turpitude cannot contest the election. His client was sentenced to 10 years in jail for possessing unlicensed firearms, not for immoral behaviour.