SC too clears way for AL rebel candidate

The Supreme Court today upheld a High Court order that asked the returning officer concerned to allow Awami League’s rebel candidate Ahsan Habib Pranjol to contest for the mayoral post in Kachua municipality election in Chandpur.

Justice Md Imman Ali, chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC, passed “no order” on a petition filed by Nazmul Alam, the AL nominated mayor candidate at the municipality, challenging the HC order.

Ahsan’s lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan and Nazmul’s lawyer Abdul Baset Majumder told The Daily Star that there is no legal bar to Ahsan’s contesting as a mayoral candidate to Kachua municipality election, as the SC has affirmed the HC order.  

Khurshid Alam Khan said the returning officer of Chandpur cancelled Ahsan’s nomination on December 6 over concealing information about the number of cases filed against him.

Ahsan in the affidavit submitted to the returning officer mentioned that he had secured acquittal in all the five cases against him whereas the actual number of cases filed against him was 15 in which he got acquittal too, Khurshid added.

Following a writ petition filed by Ahsan, the HC on December 23 directed the returning officer to accept the nomination of Ahsan so that he can contest for the mayoral post in Kachua municipality election on December 30.

Nazmul Alam, the AL nominated mayor candidate for Kachua municipality, recently filed a petition with the SC seeking stay on the HC order.