The High Court (HC) has directed the Election Commission (EC) not to accept a proposed amendment to the BNP’s constitution, jeopardising the political future of Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman.
Earlier this year, the part hastily deleted a provision in the constitution that barred a corruption convict from being a member of the committees.
The move came just before a judge jailed Khaleda and her son in the Zia Orphanage Trust case on Feb 8, reports bdnews24.
A person, named Mozammel Hossain, later filed an appeal to the Election Commission challenging the planned change to the party constitution.
Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Mohammad Ali on Wednesday ordered the EC to resolve the issue in a month and not to accept the amendment proposal during the period.
The Section 7 of the party’s constitution was a threat to Khaleda’s political career, as it barred anyone involved or convicted for corruption from getting membership of the party or nomination to contest the parliamentary election.
According to that section, people who are convicted under the President’s Order No. 8, bankrupt, mentally disturbed, and infamous for graft and crimes are not eligible to become a member of the party.
On Jan 28, around two weeks before the trial court delivered the judgment in the orphanage case, the BNP submitted its amended constitution to the Election Commission for approval.