High Court Accepts Five Election Petitions

The High Court has agreed to hear five separate election petitions challenging the results of the 13th National Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. A single-judge bench, headed by Justice Md. Zakir Hossain, formally accepted the petitions on Wednesday for hearing.

The five petitions concern allegations of vote rigging and irregularities in the constituencies of Dhaka-5, Dhaka-13, Pabna-3, Gaibandha-5, and Kushtia-4. Among the petitioners, four are candidates from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), while one represents the 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami.

Petitioners and Legal Representation

According to the BCP, Chief Justice had previously assigned a single-judge bench on 17 February to accept and hear election petitions. These five petitions were listed as motions (new cases) in Wednesday’s court agenda.

Voting Details and Alleged Irregularities

The contested results reveal narrow margins in several constituencies, underpinning the petitions.

In Dhaka-13, Mamunul Haque’s lawyer, Sonchita Siddiqui, told Prothom Alo that allegations of vote rigging prompted the petition. The High Court has directed that electoral equipment in the constituency be preserved for inspection.

Similarly, Md. Nazmul Islam, lawyer for Hasan Zafir Tuhin in Pabna-3, confirmed that the court accepted the petition for hearing and scheduled it for 14 June.

Broader Context

After the official gazette publication of election results, any candidate disputing outcomes can file an election petition with the High Court. From 26 February to 9 March, the same bench accepted 22 election petitions from 22 different candidates for hearing, reflecting a high level of scrutiny and ongoing legal challenges following the parliamentary elections.

This latest set of petitions underscores the heightened tensions and scrutiny surrounding Bangladesh’s electoral process, as multiple constituencies face legal examination over alleged irregularities.