Fifty-six candidates from the BNP-led 20-party alliance, all defeated in the December 30 polls, yesterday filed one petition each with the High Court challenging the legality of the election.

The petitions cited irregularities during the polls and appealed for cancelling the results in their constituencies. They also demanded the court's direction to the Election Commission for fresh polls in their constituencies.

With yesterday's 56, a total of 74 defeated candidates filed such petitions so far, said court sources.

Some of these petitions pointed out cases where dead people were shown as voters in the polls, which is a clear evidence of a farcical election.

The HC is yet to set any date for hearing of the petitions.

The candidates include Subrata Chowdhury of Dhaka-6, Mafizul Islam Khan Kamal of Manikganj-3, Maj Gen (retd) Amsa Amin of Kurigram-2, Abdul Momen Chowdhury of Chattogram-15, Saiful Islam Firoj of Jhenidah-4, Abul Kalam Azad Siddqui of Tangail-7, Zainul Abedin of Barishal-3, Rumana Mahmud of Sirajganj-2, Jahiruddin Swapan of Barishal-1, Shah Riazul Hannan of Gazipur-4, Naser Rahman of Moulvibazar-3, Abdul Hai of Munshiganj-3.

The Jatiya Oikyafront, an alliance led by BNP and some other political parties, had rejected the polls results alleging irregularities in the election.

The Awami League-led grand alliance secured 289 seats while Oikyafront got only eight.

The Oikyafront MP-elects are yet to take oath in the parliament.

ASM Abdur Rob, president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, earlier said that the Oikyafront would hold a public hearing on February 24 to present the “picture of vote rigging” in the last parliamentary election.

There will be a court in the public hearing and Dr Kamal Hossain will be the “judge”. The government's misdeeds and pictures of vote rigging will be unmasked, Rob added.