M.A. Qayyum’s candidacy upheld in Dhaka-11, petition by Nahid Islam dismissed by High Court

PNN News Desk, Dhaka

The High Court has upheld the nomination of BNP candidate M.A. Qayyum in the Dhaka-11 constituency for the 13th National Parliament elections, dismissing a writ petition filed by Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP).

The order was delivered on Tuesday by a High Court bench comprising Justice Fahmida Kader and Justice Mo. Asif Hasan.

Following the verdict, senior lawyer Ahsanul Karim, representing Qayyum, stated that with the dismissal of the writ petition, there is no legal barrier preventing him from contesting the election. He added that Qayyum has been part of the electoral process from the beginning, and the court’s ruling now confirms his candidacy.

Nahid Islam’s senior lawyer Mohammad Hossain said preparations are underway to approach the Appellate Division against the High Court’s order.

Earlier, on 3 January, Qayyum’s nomination papers were declared valid by the Returning Officer after scrutiny at the Divisional Commissioner’s office in Segunbagicha, Dhaka. On 22 January, he was allocated the BNP election symbol, “Sheaf of Paddy”.

Nahid Islam alleged that Qayyum had acquired citizenship of Vanuatu and did not disclose this in his affidavit, claiming this made him a dual citizen. The writ petition challenged the validity of the Returning Officer’s decision based on this allegation.

The petition was listed as item 82 on the High Court’s hearing schedule. During the hearing, Nahid Islam’s lawyers presented arguments, while Qayyum’s lawyers argued that the allegations were based on social media rumors and circumstantial controversies, which are not adjudicable through writ petitions during elections. They also noted that any election-related dispute should be resolved by the Election Tribunal as per the Constitution.