HC asks EC to settle JSD polls symbol issue

The High Court today directed the Election Commission to settle within 30 days the review petition of a faction of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal led by Sharif Nurul Ambia seeking ‘moshal’ (torch) as election symbol of the party.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order following a writ petition filed by Ambia seeking a directive upon the EC to allocate the torch symbol to his party.

Writ petitioner’s lawyer Shahdeen Malik told reporters that the EC on April 17 arbitrarily allocated 'moshal' (torch) as polls sign to the faction of JSD, a key component of the AL-led 14-party alliance, led by Hasanul Haq Inu and Shirin Akhter although Inu had contested last two national elections with the symbol of boat.

But the JCD faction led by Ambia and Nazmul Haque Prodhan had contested the election with the symbol of torch, he said.

The Ambia-led JSD submitted a petition to the EC seeking review of its April 17 decision but the EC has not settled the review petitions in around one and a half months, Shahdeen Malik said.