The Supreme Court today upheld a High Court verdict that directed the Election Commission to register Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM) led by its chairman Bobby Hajjaj as a political party.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order through dismissing a leave to appeal filed by the EC challenging the HC verdict.

The EC has to registrar NDM as a political party in 15 days following the apex court order, Barrister Rashna Imam, a lawyer for Bobby Hajjaj, told The Daily Star.

She also said If the NDM gets registered as a political party with the EC, it will get an election symbol to contest the elections.

Following a writ petition filed by Bobby Hajjaj, the HC on October 21 last year directed the EC to register NDM as a political party within 15 days.

Later on, the EC filed a leave to appeal with the SC challenging the HC verdict.

The EC on June 11 last year rejected an application to registrar NDM as a political party saying that the party’s constitution was not amended with due process.

But, the EC has not said anything in its letter how the NDM’s constitution will be amended, Barrister Rashna added.  

Barrister Akhtar Imam appeared for Bobby Hajjaj, while Advocate Obaidul Rahman Mostafa represented the EC.