Cultural and social organisation Gourab 71 issued a letter to the Election Commission, demanding that the nomination of the 25 Jamaat-e-Islam candidates be scrapped.

A delegation comprising of Gourab 71 and a few other organization submitted the letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nurul Huda on Saturday (Dec 22).

Jamaat, a long time ally of the BNP will be contesting the upcoming national polls with the electoral symbol ‘paddy sheaf.’

The letter addressed to CEC Nurul Huda read, “The High Court cancelled the registration of the party because their party charter goes against the constitution. Besides, the International Crimes Tribunal has termed them as a terrorist party given their role in the war of 1971.”

It read that war criminals should not have been part of the party’s top brass and has demanded that the candidacy of 25 Jamaat leaders be scrapped.

“Zia (Ziaur Rahman) re-established Jamaat. The BNP is allowing them and the children of war criminals to contest the polls with paddy sheaf. We hope that the commission will take the sentiments of the children of the martyrs and legally scrap their nominations,” said Dr Nuzhat Chowdhury, daughter of a 1971 martyr.

The children of the martyrs said that this demand is not only theirs but the on behalf of the people.

In their letter they said that the future generation does not believe that a war criminal should be allowed to take part in the polls.