Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today claimed that the process of taking interview of nomination seekers by “fugitive convict and corrupt” BNP leader Tarique Rahman is “illegal.”

“Our question is how a convicted man can participate in election activities sitting in London. It’s clearly a violation of the electoral code of conduct,” he said at a press conference at Awami League President Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi office.

He also urged the Election Commission to take proper action in this regard.

“There’s a High Court directive that no convicted person can participate in the election campaign. We’re looking forward to the Election Commission. We hope the EC will look into the issue.”

Asked whether they will take the issue to the court, he said, “If there’s no remedy from the EC, we’ll place it before the peoples’ court.” 

Brushing aside BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s allegation that many innocent BNP men are being arrested, Quader said, “Most of the BNP activists are involved in crime. Resorting to firing, terrorism, torching buses and cutting roads is their job. They’re being arrested for their crime. Police don’t arrest any innocent person.”

Responding to a query about finalising the party’s nominations for the upcoming national election, the AL general secretary said they will announce the names of the party candidates before the deadline for filing nomination ends.

He also dismissed the list of party candidates published in the media, terming it “totally baseless”.

Meanwhile, Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed today said the commission has “nothing to do” with BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s involvement in the nomination processes of the party.

“As he (Tarique) interviewed candidates through online, so it seems that the electoral code of conduct will not be applicable in this regard,” he told journalists after a meeting of the commission at Nirbachan Bhaban this afternoon.

The commission has nothing to do in this regard, he added.

Yesterday, Awami League sent a letter to the EC alleging that the electoral code of conduct was violated as Tarique, who was convicted of corruption and money laundering, talked to nomination seekers through video-conferencing from London.

WHAT IS TARIQUE’S ROLE IN NOMINATION PROCESS   

Through video conference, Tarique, who has been staying in London since 2008, on Sunday interviewed 540 nomination seekers from 72 constituencies of 16 districts in two divisions at the BNP chief's Gulshan office.

Tarique, who was sentenced to 17 years in prison in two corruption cases and life imprisonment in the August 21 grenade attack, also interviewed the nomination aspirants today, on the second day of the nomination process of BNP.

The Awami League questioned his inclusion in the BNP nomination board and drew the Election Commission's attention to the issue.

WHY IS TARIQUE ‘TABOO’?

Tarique has been living in London for the last nine years.

Convicted in several cases (in absentia) including that of the sensational August 21 grenade attack, he does not have any valid Bangladeshi travel document.

He had handed over his passport to the UK Home Office almost four years ago.

The UK Home Office sent his passport to the Bangladesh High Commission. He has to apply for a new passport to return home, according to a UNB report.

Bangladesh government wants to bring Tarique back and face punishment he received in three separate cases, including the Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases.

Besides, the Supreme Court in an order also barred media outlets and others from publishing any statement of Tarique Rahman.