The High Court has ruled that in the upcoming national parliamentary election, even if candidates are jointly nominated by alliance partners, they must contest using their own party symbol.
The order was delivered on Thursday by a bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Fatema Anwar after hearing a rule issued on the matter.
As a result of the verdict, electoral alliances may be formed, but each party must field candidates under its respective symbol.
On 3 November, the interim government amended the Representation of the People Order RPO through an ordinance, introducing the provision that registered political parties forming an alliance must still contest the election using their individual symbols.
Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM) Secretary General Mominul Amin filed a writ petition on 27 November challenging the provision, naming Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin and others as respondents.
On 1 December, the High Court issued a rule asking why the provision requiring candidates to contest under their own party symbol, even when participating in an electoral alliance in the upcoming national parliamentary election, should not be declared illegal.
The Election Commission was directed to respond within 10 days. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir later became a party to the writ, represented by lawyer Zainul Abedin.
Lawyer Ahsanul Karim argued for the petitioner, joined by lawyers Reshad Imam, Shahedul Azam and Md Mostafizur Rahman.
After the hearing, the High Court dismissed the rule, effectively upholding the ordinance.
