Khaleda Zia, Haji Selim Can’t Contest Next National Polls: Khurshid Alam

Khurshid Alam Khan, a lawyer of the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC), said on Monday that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Awami League MP Haji Selim are ineligible as candidates to participate in the upcoming 12th parliamentary election as per a decision by the High Court.

Khan said the High Court verdict published on Sunday mentioned that no convict can participate in the election until the sentence is overturned by the appropriate court.

“In line with this verdict, Khaleda Zia, Haji Selim and any person sentenced to more than two years in jail, whose appeal is pending, will not be able to participate in the upcoming parliamentary election,” he told reporters on the Supreme Court premises on Monday.

On Sunday, the High Court said that no convicted persons pending their appeals or on bail will be able to participate in the election unless the sentence is overturned by the High Court or five years have passed since the sentence has been served.

“This court did not suspend their sentences, they got bail. According to Article 66(2)(d) of the Constitution, appellants are not allowed to participate in elections,” said the verdict.

Earlier, on November 27, 2018, the High Court ruled that no person can participate in the election while the appeal is pending if he is sentenced to more than two years in jail by any trial court. 

Khaleda Zia was sent to Old Dhaka’s Central Jail after she was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by a special court in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018.

She was convicted in a second corruption case later.

Khaleda Zia has been staying at her Gulshan residence since her release from jail through an executive order. A special team of her personal physicians has been overseeing her treatment.