HC orders EC to accept Tabassum's nomination 

The High Court (HC) on Monday ordered the Election Commission (EC) to accept the nomination of National Citizen Party (NCP) Leader Nusrat Tabassum for a reserved women's seat in the Jatiya Sangsad (JS), marking a significant legal intervention in an ongoing dispute over candidate eligibility.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anwar also issued a rule asking the authorities to explain why the cancellation of Tabassum's nomination should not be declared unlawful. 

The court's order came after a writ petition challenged the EC's earlier decision to invalidate her candidacy.

Tabassum's nomination had been cancelled on 22 April after she submitted her papers 19 minutes past the official deadline. Her legal team argued that the rejection was disproportionate and inconsistent with principles of fairness, prompting the court to intervene and direct the EC to proceed in accordance with the law.

Lawyers Mohammad Hossain Lipu, Md Moniruzzaman and Zahirul Islam Musa represented the petitioner during the hearing.
The ruling comes amid a series of appeals and counter-appeals over nominations for reserved women's seats, highlighting the procedural tensions ahead of the parliamentary process.

In a separate development, the EC upheld the returning officer's decision to cancel the candidacy of another NCP nominee, Monira Sharmin. Her nomination was rejected on the grounds that she had not completed the mandatory three-year period since resigning from government service. 

Speaking to reporters after the decision, Sharmin said she would challenge the ruling in the HC. 

Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said Sharmin's appeal had been dismissed following a review hearing held at the EC building in the capital's Agargaon. The hearing, which began at 11am, concluded within an hour.

Masud also addressed an appeal concerning BNP candidate Ziba Amin Khan. He said the complaint against her candidacy was dismissed on procedural grounds because the appellant was not a contesting candidate, rendering the appeal invalid. That is why,  Khan's nomination remains intact.

A similar outcome followed in the case involving BNP-nominated Candidate Madhavi Marma. An appeal filed by Chandra Chakma was rejected by the EC on the same legal basis - that only an "aggrieved candidate" has standing to challenge a nomination.

Chakma told reporters that officials cited legal provisions restricting appeals to candidates directly affected by the outcome. "I was told that the appellant must be an aggrieved candidate, not an individual. That is why my appeal was not accepted," Chakma said, adding that she now intends to move the High Court.

The developments underscore increasing legal scrutiny over electoral procedures, with multiple candidates turning to the judiciary to contest administrative decisions by the EC. The HC's latest directive in favour of Tabassum is likely to influence how similar disputes are handled in the coming days.