<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">The High Court on Tuesday stayed the decision of the Election Commission that turned down the nomination papers of Ashraful Hossain Alam alias Hero Alam for contesting the upcoming by-elections to Bogura-4 and Bogura-6 constituencies as independent candidate.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the cancellation of Hero Alam’s nomination papers should not be declared illegal.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Four people including the Chief Election Commission, EC secretary and returning officer were made respondents to the rule.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The HC bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir passed the order following two separate writ petitions filed by Alam on Monday challenging the EC’s decision.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Advocate Md Yarul Islam, who appeared for the writ petitioner, said there is no bar to Hero Alam to contest in the polls following the order of the High Court.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The nomination papers of Hero Alam were turned down by the Election Commission on Sunday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam said the nomination papers of eleven candidates including Hero Alam were cancelled as the Election Commission found mismatched documents against their affidavits.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hero Alam collected nomination papers for contesting the upcoming by-election to Bogura-4 and Bogura-6 constituencies as an independent candidate.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Election Commission announced the date of the by-election in the vacant post for February 1.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hero Alam contested for Bogura-4 (Kahalu-Nandigram) constituency as an independent candidate in the 11th national election. He got 638 votes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On December 2, 2018, the nomination paper of much-talked-about independent candidate for Bagura-4 seats Ashraful Alam alias Hero Alam was turned down by the Election Commission as he could not properly submit the signatures of one percent voters of his constituency. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>