SC scraps Rangpur-1 JaPa candidate’s nomination over dual citizenship

The Supreme Court’s Appellate Division on Tuesday declared the nomination of Manjum Ali, Jatiya Party (JaPa) candidate from Rangpur-1, illegal over the issue of dual citizenship, effectively barring him from contesting the 13th national parliamentary election.

The order was passed by a bench of the Appellate Division headed by the chief justice, upholding an earlier High Court verdict that found Manjum Ali’s nomination paper invalid. Senior lawyers Ahsanul Karim, Mohammad Hossain Lipu, Syed Mamun Mahbub and Barrister Shamim Haider Patwary appeared for Manjum Ali, while senior lawyer Barrister Badruddoza Badal represented the BNP candidate in the case. 

Following the verdict, Barrister Badal said the High Court had on 21 January declared Manjum Ali’s nomination paper for Rangpur-1, comprising Gangachara upazila and wards 1 to 9 of Rangpur City Corporation, illegal. The Appellate Division had now upheld that decision.

The legal battle followed a series of contradictory rulings during the nomination scrutiny process. On 1 January, Rangpur District Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner Enamul Ahsan cancelled Manjum Ali’s nomination after his affidavit disclosed dual citizenship. Manjum Ali subsequently appealed to the Election Commission, but his nomination was rejected again at the first stage of the appeal.

He later sought reconsideration, and on 17 January, the eighth day of the appeal hearing, the Election Commission declared his nomination valid. That decision prompted BNP candidate Mukarram Hossain Sujan to file a writ petition with the High Court, challenging the Commission’s ruling.

With the Appellate Division’s verdict now final, Manjum Ali will no longer be able to take part in the election from Rangpur-1. 

Other candidates with valid nomination papers in the 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.