Dhaka: The High Court on Sunday asked the Election Commissioner to accept the nomination papers of five BNP aspirants who are also municipal mayors so that they can contest the upcoming general election.

A HC bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order after hearing on separate writ petitions filed by the five BNP leaders challenging the EC’s decision to reject their candidature.

The five BNP aspirants are Fahmid Foysal Chowdhury of Nilphamari-3, Amzad hossain of Nilphamari-4, Syed Jahangir Alam of Dinajpur-3, Mohamamd Nazmul of Naogaon-5 and Touhidul Haq of Panchagarh-1 constituencies.

Earlier in the day, the five BNP aspirants filed separate writ petitions challenging the legality of the EC’s decision that rejected their candidature as they were holding the post of municipality mayor.

Barrister Ruhul Kuddus Kajal stood for the petitioners while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state.

With HC order there will be no obstacles for the five BNP candidates for contesting the polls, said Barrister Ruhul Kuddus Kajal.

EC has rejected the nominations of five BNP aspirants during the hearing on petitions filed with the commission. 
The returning officers concerned rejected the nomination papers of five BNP leaders saying all of them were holding respective posts of municipality mayors.
The 11^th national election is scheduled to be held on December 30, 2018.