The High Court (HC) on Thursday postponed the effectiveness of an Election Commission (EC) gazette that declared the victory of an Awami League candidate from Jhenaidah-1 constituency for two months on charges of irregularities and rigging in the 12th national election held on January 7.
A single bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzman passed the order after a petition submitted by independent candidate Nazrul Islam Dulal Biswas challenging the EC’s gazette, said the petitioner’s counsel Shah Manjurul Huq.
A total of 17 individuals including Jhneidah deputy commissioner, police superintendent and upazila nirbahi officer were made respondents to a rule issued by the HC, he said.
As a result, the AL candidate won’t be able to act as a member of parliament (MP), he said.
On January 7, the EC published a gazette declaring Awami League candidate Abdul Hye as the winner of the 12th national election. He got 94, 379 votes in the election while his nearest rival Md Nazrul Islam Dulal got 80,547 votes.
Dulal Biswas said at 4:30 pm on the voting day it was announced that he had bagged 80,567 votes and the AL candidate got 65,000 votes.
The following day, the AL candidate was declared the winner by adding 28,000 votes.
Dulal Biswas is the vice-president of Jhenaidah district AL while Abdul Hai is the president of the same unit.