Dhaka: Despite a massive anti-graft campaign during the past two years in emergency ruled Bangladesh, at least 48 corruption suspects have managed to make their way to stand for the upcoming December 29 general elections.

Taking advantages of legal loopholes such corrupt candidates made way, a leading poll watchdog reported today.

Besides them, at least 100 candidates, nearly half of them belonging to major two political parties are facing murder cases and of them, two have been awarded life imprisonment on murder charge, the Shushashoner Janyo Nagorik (Shujan) survey report published in newspapers said.

It said 27 candidates from former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and 17 of her arch-rival Sheikh Hasina's Awami League were charged with corruption but were allowed by courts for standing for parliament.

The report, based on affidavit and tax returns of the candidates as demanded under mandatory eight-point disclosures by the revised electoral laws, found that 34 BNP and 24 Awami League contenders were facing murder cases.

Two of them were already awarded life imprisonment on murder charge by trial courts while appear hearings were pending with the higher courts, a situation that allowed them to stand for the polls for the 300-seat parliament.

The report said 87 candidates of the Awami League-led grand alliance while 102 contenders nominated by the BNP-led four-party grouping were facing cases on various other charges.

Much stress has been given to ensure a flawless election process, while the issue of quality of candidates largely remained ignored, Shujan President Muzaffer Ahmad said as the report was launched.
Source : PTI