The Election Commission (EC) has said that the court will decide whether BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will be able to join the next parliamentary polls or not.
EC Secretary Helal Uddin said this on Wednesday in reply to a question on the issue during a media briefing.
He was talking to the journalists following a meeting between a European Parliament delegation and Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda at the EC secretariat in Dhaka.
Mr Helal said, “One of the members of the delegation also asked about it. It’s a matter to be determined by the court. The EC has nothing to do with it.”
Bdnews24 said the BNP chief, a three-time prime minister, is serving a five-year jail term in a case involving the embezzlement of foreign funds meant for orphans.
A two-year prison term for a criminal conviction disqualifies an individual from running in the parliamentary election.
However, a stay order on the trial court’s verdict, granted by the High Court, may open a window for Khaleda.
BNP has been claiming that the corruption charges against the party chief are politically motivated attempts to keep Khaleda out of the election due in December.
