The New Nation - Internet Edition

Rafiqul Islam Azad

Over one hundred politicians, including former ministers and MPs, of different political parties will be ineligible to contest the forthcoming general elections for various reasons, highly placed sources said.

According to sources about 50 of those political leaders have already been disqualified upon their conviction in different corruption and criminal cases.

The rest would be disqualified from getting party nominations, as they were responsible for tarnishing their party image in the past.

Tarique Rahman, Senior BNP Secretary General and elder son of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, has already gone abroad for treatment undertaking not to be active in politics. According to party sources, there is little possibility for him to return to politics in near future.

The political leaders, who have been reportedly disqualified, include Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, Barrister Nazmul Huda, Haris Chowdhury, Mirza Abbas, Shajahan Siraj, Lutfozzaman Babar and Mosaddeque Ali Falu of BNP, Mohammad Nasim, Abul Hasanat Abdullah, Joynal Hazari, Shamim Osman, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Haji Selim and Haji Moqbul of Awami League and Shajahan Chowdhury and Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Sources said a quarter within the government is preparing the list of corrupt and harmful elements in the political parties for not providing them party tickets in the scheduled parliamentary polls to be held in the third week of December.

The quarter is learnt to be pursuing a move for taking assurance from the political parties concerned so that they drop the listed leaders from the polls fray.

According to sources, BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, during her dialogue with four advisers of the Caretaker government on September 12, has agreed, in principle, to such a proposal.

The Government is also planning to give such proposal during its dialogue with Awami League President Sheikh Hasina after her return from abroad.

Besides, the government had already proposed for a dialogue between Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina and was planning to hold a political summit in November to discussion the ways and means to bring qualitative changes in country’s politics.

As per Article 66(2) Gha of the Constitution, if any body served two years in prison on charges of criminal offences he/she would not contest parliament elections for the next five years.

And the Emergency Powers Rule Section 11(5) said that anyone convicted for any crime and despite pending appeal in the higher court will also be unable to contest in the election.

Barrister Nazmul Huda, Mirza Abbas, Barrister Aminul Huq, M Morshed Khan, Shahjahan Siraj, Mizanur Rahman Minu, Toyabur Rahman, Mir Nasir Uddin, Barrister Shahjahan Omar (Bir Uttam), Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Amanullah Aman, Salahuddin Ahmed, Ziaul Huq Zia, Lutfozzaman Babar, Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, Mosaddek Ali Falu, Ali Asgar Lobi, Engineer Manjurul Ahsan Munshi, Rashiduzzaman Millat, Hafiz Ibrahim, Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan, M Naser Rahman, Engineer Shahrin Islam Tuhin, Haris Chowdhury, Advocate Toimur Alam Khandaker, Giasuddin Al Mamun, BM Bakir Hossain of BNP and former home minister Mohammad Nasim, Abul Hasnat Abdullah, Dr HBM Iqbal, Jainal Hazari, Pankaj Devnath of Awami League and Anwar Hossain Manju, Chirman Jatiya Party (Manju) and his wife Tasmima Hossain, Shahjahan Chowdhury, former Member of Parliament of Jammat-e-Islami, and Shahidul Islam of Islami Oikkya Jote, among others, were awarded conviction for different terms.

Beside Tarique Rahman, Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, Mojibur Rahman Sarwar, Jainal Abein Farooq, Ilias Ali, Nasiruddin Ahmd Pintu, Salahuddin Ahmed, Prof Shahidul Islam of BNP and Kamal Ahmed Majumder, Altaf Hossain Golandaj, Shahjahan Khan of Awami League and Dr Abdullah Mohamamd Taher of Jamaat-e-Islami and Golam Farooq Ovi of Jatiya Party, among others, who have negative images in the political arena would also be unfit for contesting in the next parliament elections.

Meanwhile, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has take steps to revive hearings of all corruption cases stayed by court.

ACC has consulted the panel lawyer in this regard.