The High Court has issued a rule asking why the nominations of Jatiya Party and National Democratic Front (NDF) candidates should not be declared illegal. The order was given on Sunday afternoon by a bench led by Justice Razik Al Jalil. The Election Commission has been directed to respond to the rule within two weeks.

The rule followed a writ petition filed by Abdullah Al Mahmud, an organizer of the political alliance July Oikya, represented by Barrister A S M Shahriar Kabir. Earlier, on 7 January, the High Court had postponed until 11 January the hearing of a petition seeking to bar Jatiya Party and NDF from participating in the election.

The court’s directive now requires the Election Commission to clarify its position on the legality of these candidates’ nominations, potentially influencing the upcoming electoral process depending on the response and subsequent judicial review.