High Court petition seeks suspension of presidential election schedule

A writ petition has been filed with the High Court challenging the constitutional validity of Article 70 and seeking a suspension of the schedule for the upcoming presidential election.

Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Yunus Ali Akand filed the petition on Thursday (August 13). The petition may come up for hearing on Sunday.

The Chief Election Commissioner and the secretary of the Parliament Secretariat, among others, have been named as respondents.

The Election Commission (EC) announced the presidential election schedule on August 6, setting August 20 as the polling date.

If more than one candidate contests the election, voting will take place from 2pm to 5pm in the Jatiya Sangsad chamber on August 20. Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin will serve as the returning officer for the election.

Under the announced schedule, nomination papers were to be submitted between 10am and 4pm on August 13. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on August 16, while the deadline for withdrawal of candidature is August 18. Polling is scheduled for August 20.