Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) alleged on Tuesday that the government has created obstacle to the appeal against cancellation of nomination papers by the opposition candidates.
"Obeying government instruction, the returning officers (ROs) have extensively rejected nomination papers of heavyweight BNP leaders in a pre-planned way based on negligible mistakes," said BNP senior joint-secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Besides, he claimed that the Election Commission (EC) didn't reject any nomination papers of the ruling Awami League candidates despite having numerous faults in their papers.
At a press briefing held at BNP's Nayapaltan central office, Rizvi also alleged that the ROs of different districts are not even giving a scope to the candidates, whose nominations forms were cancelled, to talk about the matter with them (ROs).
Providing an example, he said, "RO of Brahmanbaria Hayat-ud-Dowla Khan didn't give opportunity to most of the BNP candidates to talk with him about their rejected nomination papers."
Meanwhile, returning office in Rajshahi didn't provide certified copies of cancelled nomination papers of BNP candidates Nadim Mustafa and Aminul Haque yet, though deadline for appeal is Wednesday.
According to electoral code of conducts, EC should allow an election candidate to talk with the commission if there is any objection against him/her.
"If they (ROs) don't do so, it should be understood that they are working with ill-motive," the BNP leader added.
Claiming that enforcement of law is dissimilar for Awami League and BNP, he said the High Court turned down appeal of five BNP leaders about their aspiration to contest the polls.
Explaining it, the Attorney General (AG) a few days ago said convicts with over two years' sentencing can't run for election; even, they would not be able to participate in the polls for five years if they are acquitted of all charges or the convictions are cancelled.
"Taking the AGs explanation into account, it is our question that isn't it illegal for Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya and parliament member of Cox's Bazar-4 Abdur Rahman Badi to still stay in parliament," he added.
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