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The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has cancelled the candidacy of BNP leader Aslam Chowdhury, who was unofficially elected from the Chattogram-4 constituency in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election. As a result, his election result cannot be officially published, lawyers said.
The four-member Appellate Division bench, led by the Chief Justice, delivered the verdict on Tuesday (June 30).
The court had earlier concluded the hearing on June 15 and fixed June 30 for delivering the judgment.
Senior lawyer Mohammad Shishir Monir and Barrister A.S.M. Shahriar Kabir represented the Jamaat-e-Islami candidate, assisted by lawyer Md Azim Uddin Patwari. Lawyer A.S.M. Ilias Haider appeared for Bank Asia. Representing Aslam Chowdhury were senior lawyer Miftah Uddin Chowdhury and Barrister A.M. Mahbub Uddin Khokon.
The Election Commission had declared Aslam Chowdhury’s nomination paper valid on January 18, the final day of appeals, despite allegations that he was a loan defaulter.
Bank Asia challenged that decision. Although the High Court dismissed the bank’s writ petition, the bank later appealed to the Appellate Division. Jamaat candidate Md Anwar Siddiqui also sought leave to appeal against the High Court’s order.
On February 3, the Appellate Division granted leave to appeal against the order upholding Aslam Chowdhury’s candidacy. While allowing him to contest the election, the court ordered that the election result would remain withheld until the appeal was finally disposed of.
Aslam Chowdhury won the February 12 election, but the result was never officially published due to the court’s earlier order.
With Tuesday’s verdict cancelling his candidacy, he cannot be declared elected or take the oath as a Member of Parliament.