SC cancels nomination of JaPa candidate over dual citizenship

Supreme Court’s Appellate Division on Tuesday declared the nomination of Jatiya Party (JaPa) candidate Manjum Ali from Rangpur-1 constituency in the 13th National Parliamentary Election illegal over the issue of dual citizenship.

As a result, he will not be able to participate in the election.

The Appellate Division headed by the chief justice issued the order on Tuesday.

Senior lawyers Ahsanul Karim, Mohammad Hossain Lipu, Syed Mamun Mahbub, and Barrister Shamim Haider Patwary represented Manjum Ali in the court, while senior lawyer Barrister Badruddoza Badal represented the BNP candidate.

Later, Badruddoza said that on 21 January, the High Court declared the nomination paper of Jatiya Party candidate Manjum Ali for Rangpur-1 (Gangachara and Wards 1-9 of Rangpur City) as illegal.

The Appellate Division on Tuesday upheld the High Court's order.

On 17 January, the nomination of JaPa candidate Manjum Ali for Rangpur-1 in the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary election was declared valid.

Later, BNP candidate for that constituency, Mukarram Hossain Sujan, filed a writ petition in the High Court against the EC's decision.

During the nomination paper verification process on 1 January, Rangpur District Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner Enamul Ahsan cancelled Manjum Ali's nomination paper due to the mention of dual citizenship in the affidavit.

He then appealed to the Election Commission to get his nomination back.

Although the nomination was rejected again in the first round of hearing, Manjum later filed a reconsideration request.

On the eighth day of the appeal hearing on 17 January, the commission declared his nomination valid.

In addition to Manjum Ali, the candidates with valid nomination papers in Rangpur-1 constituency include BNP's Mukarram Hossain Sujan, Jamaat-e-Islami's Raihan Siraji, Islami Andolan's ATM Golam Mostafa, NCP’s Al Mamun, Gono Odhikar Parishad's Hanifur Rahman, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Basad-Marxist)'s Ahsanul Arefin, Islamic Front’s Md Anas, and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis’ Md Mominur Rahman.