Menon files petition against Abbas’ candidature in Dhaka-8

UNB
Rashed Khan Menon, a candidate of the ruling Awami League-led Grand Alliance, on Wednesday filed a petition with the Election Commission challenging the candidature of the opposition combine Jatiya Okiyafront’s Mirza Abbas.
Lawyer Ziad al Malum, on behalf of Menon, submitted the petition before the appellate authority, EC, in the afternoon against the validity of Abbas’ nomination paper filed for Dhaka-8 constituency in the parliamentary elections.
During Sunday’s scrutiny, the returning officer declared valid the nomination paper of BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas in the constituency.
In Dhaka-8, Social Welfare Minister Rashed Khan Menon is also a valid contestant of the Workers Party, a component of the ruling Awami League-led 14-party alliance.
After submission of the petition, Ziad told reporters Mirza Abbas concealed that his wife Afroza Abbas is a loan defaulter.
Besides, both Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza, who also submitted nomination paper for Dhaka-9 provided misleading information in their affidavits filed with the Election Commission.
The BNP leader mentioned in his affidavit that he has liabilities of more than Tk 70 lakh to his wife, while Afroza said she has liabilities of Tk one crore to her husband.
In Dhaka-8, a total of 22 aspirants submitted nomination papers to contest the national election, but the returning officer rejected seven nomination papers.
The EC will dispose of all the petitions, submitted against the decision of the returning officers over rejection and acceptance of nomination papers, on December 6-8.
During Sunday’s scrutiny, the returning officers accepted total 2,279 nomination papers and rejected 786 others submitted in the country’s 300 constituencies to contest the 11th national election slated for December 30.