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Allow convicts under EPR to go to higher court for contesting polls: AL

Staff Correspondent
Awami League (AL) yesterday demanded that party leaders convicted by lower courts under the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) have to be allowed to contest the national election if higher courts accept their appeals against conviction.
" Those convicted by lower courts under the Emergency Power Rules will have to be given chance to appeal in higher courts according to the Constitution. If the higher courts accept the appeals, then they will have to be allowed to take part in the election," AL acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said.
The crucial decision came at a meeting of the AL Central Working Committee (ALCWC) with party chief Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
According to the EPR, anybody convicted under this law (EPR) would not be allowed to take part in any election.
Held at Hasina's political office, the meeting also demanded that those identified as utility bill and loan defaulters have to be allowed to take part in the election if they repay their dues before submission of nomination papers.
The meeting was adjourned until 5:00pm today.
Contacted, leaders attending the meeting said Hasina showed a positive attitude towards senior party leaders who are widely knows as reformists.
Saying that party leaders sued under the EPR could not operate their bank accounts, and it hampered their normal life, Ashraf demanded allowing them to operate their bank accounts and open fresh accounts.
The meeting observed that it is not possible to hold a free and fair election amidst state of emergency, the meeting reiterated that the government to withdraw the state of emergency before submission of nomination form, and deferral of upazila election by a logical time gap
Ashraf said they want a free, fair and credible election on December 18 with participation of all political parties.
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It also demeaned that the fresh local body poll schedule be announced after the nation election. Ashraf observed that both the national and local body elections could be foiled if the two polls are held in a close time gap.
The last date for submission of nomination forms for both polls is November 13.
The ALCWC meeting also demanded the Election Commission to give copy voter list with photograph to the polling agent.
The dismissal of any party unit committee dissolved between January 11 and the day of resumption of indoor politics would be treated as illegal and the committee would function legally, the meetingdecided.