Bangladesh, Aug. 14 -- With the presidential election scheduled for August 20 under the existing constitutional provisions, the contest is set to be effectively uncontested, as Article 70 of the Constitution bars lawmakers from crossing party lines to vote for a rival candidate.
Since the ruling BNP holds a two-thirds majority in Parliament, its nominee is virtually certain to win, regardless of whether any other candidate enters the race.
The issue has now moved to the courts. A writ petition was filed with the High Court on Thursday challenging both the election schedule and the constitutionality of Article 70, which prevents MPs from voting against their party's position.
The petition seeks a suspension of the presidential election un...