A local resident on Thursday filed a writ petition with the High Court, challenging the legality of the failure of government authorities, to take action against Natore-3 constituency lawmaker and state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak for interference in Singra upazila elections.
Md Asaduzzaman of Sherkol village at the upazila in Natore, filed the petition, stating that he was a prospective candidate for upazila elections but failed to participate due to gross interference of the state minister for post, telecommunication and information technology in the election, scheduled for May 8.
Asaduzzaman also prayed for staying the election so that he could participate there.
The bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah is scheduled for Sunday to hear the petition.
Asaduzzaman stated in the petition that from the very outset of declaring the Singra upazila election schedule on March 21, Palak, by abusing his power as local lawmaker and the state minister, forced other candidates to refrain from contesting to the post of chairman to ensure the win of his brother-in-law Lutful Habib Rubel.
The petitioner argued that as soon Rubel came to know the candidature of Delower Hossain as his rival, Delower was abducted and subjected to inhuman torture to withdraw his nomination paper.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽
Palak also violated his oath in patronising the local goons in carrying out physical attack on Delowar, published in Ittefaq on April 17, he said.
He said that Palak鈥檚 brother-in-law withdrew his nomination, following the directive, issued by the prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, asking family members and close relatives of the party to withdraw the nomination papers for upazila parishad polls.
The petitioner said that subsequently the returning officer on April 23 declared Delower as the uncontested chairman.
鈥楴obody is above the law but the government authorities did not take action against Palak despite he had obstructed the democratic process by nude interference in the election, a democratic process,鈥� he added.