Big guns get exit order

557 nomination papers in 64 districts cancelled so far
The nomination papers of many candidates including former lawmakers of the two major electoral alliances were cancelled yesterday, the last day of scrutiny of nomination papers filed for the ninth parliamentary elections.

Returning officers (RO) cancelled nomination papers of BNP leaders Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas, Amanullah Aman and his wife Sabera Aman, former deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu for Tangail-2, ex-lawmakers MA Hashem for Dhaka-11, Hafiz Ibrahim for Bhola-2, Wadud Bhuiyan for Khagrachhari, M Giasuddin for Narayanganj-4, Ataur Rahman Khan Angur for Narayanganj-2 and Shah Mohammad Abul Hossain and Shahabuddin Chowdhury.

The ROs cancelled former AL lawmaker Kazi Zafarullah’s candidacy for Faridpur-1 and his brother Kazi Ekramullah’s candidacy for Faridpur-4, AL’s Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury’s candidacy for Feni-1, Air Vice-marshal (retd) AK Khandaker’s candidacy for Pabna-2, Khorshed Alam Sujon’s candidacy and M Idris Ali’s candidacy for Munshiganj-3, BNP’s reformist leader ZA Khan’s candidacy, JP leaders Engineer Abdul Jabbar and Mujibur Rahman’s candidacies and Krishak Sramik Janata League President Abdul Kader Siddiqui’s candidacy for Tangail-4.

Election Commission (EC) sources said 557 nomination papers were cancelled due to various reasons. Out of 2,456 nomination papers submitted, 1,899 remain valid.

Of the 203 nomination papers filed for 15 constituencies in Dhaka city, 55 had been cancelled, Aziz Khan, divisional commissioner and RO, Dhaka Division, told reporters at his office.

The nomination papers of Air Vice-marshal (retd) AK Khandaker, Sector Commanders’ Forum chief and AL nominee for Pabna-2 constituency, was cancelled for defaulting on loan repayment, reports our Pabna correspondent.

The RO office in Pabna said IFIC Bank claimed that he defaulted on bank loan of Tk 14 crore. AK Khandaker, deputy commander-in-chief of the Liberation War, took the loan from the bank when he was the chief of Air Parabat, a private airline, sources said.

The nomination paper of Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman HM Ershad for Habiganj-3 constituency was declared invalid as another aspirant filed nomination as a JP candidate there, reports our correspondent in Habiganj.

The nomination of journalist Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, who filed nomination for Feni-1 as an AL candidate, was cancelled for defaulting on loan repayment.

In Bhola, the nomination paper of BNP leader Hafiz Ibrahim, who filed nomination for Bhola-2 as an independent candidate, was cancelled Wednesday as he was convicted in corruption cases. The RO also cancelled the nominations of four other candidates including Siddiqur Rahman Manna, assistant personal secretary of Dhaka City Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, reports our correspondent in Bhola.

The nomination paper of former BNP lawmakers Giasuddin for Narayanganj-4 and Ataur Rahman Khan Angur for Narayanganj-2 were cancelled for defaulting on bank loans and incorrect information in nomination papers.

The candidates whose nomination papers were cancelled include AL’s Sirajul Islam for Faridpur-1, BNP’s KM Jahangir for Faridpur-2, AL’s Mohammad Ali for Noakhali-6, former AL lawmaker Maj Gen (retd) Abdus Salam for Mymensingh-9, BNP’s AB Siddique for Mymensingh-10, BNP’s Ekhlak Hossain for Rajshahi-1 and Tofazzel Hossain for Rajshahi-4, former BNP lawmaker Nadim Mostofa’s wife Nurunnahar Parul for a constituency in Rajshahi, BNP’s Rafiqul Islam Zamal for Jhalakathi-1, BNP leader Sharif Khasruzzaman for Narail-2, AL’s Mortaza Rashidi Dara for Khulna-4, Proshika Chief Quazi Faruque Ahmed for Dhaka-16, AL’s Abdul Hakim for Comilla-8, Mujibur Rahman for Munshiganj-3, AL’s Habibur Rahman for Pirojpur-2, former AL lawmaker ASM Firoz for Patuakhali-2, AL-led alliance leader Golam Habib Dulal for Kurigram-4, and BNP’s Dipen Dewan for Rangamati.

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