Jahangir's plea to revive candidacy rejected

The High Court Division on Monday rejected a writ petition filed by Mohammad Jahangir Alam challenging the legality of the Election Commission rejecting his nomination paper for Mayor of Gazipur.

A bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Muhammad Mahbub Ul Islam summarily rejected the writ petition filed by Jahangir challenging legality of EC's decision.

Jahangir, present at the court, told reporters that he would appeal in the Appellate Division against the order of the High Court Division.

In the order, the bench said that Jahangir's writ was rejected as he was loan defaulter while submitting his nomination paper.

The writ petition was filed a week after Gazipur's Returning Officer Faridul Islam cancelled his nomination paper during scrutiny, as he is a "loan defaulter".

On May 4, Jahangir appealed to Dhaka divisional commissioner against the cancellation; the appeal was rejected on the same day.

Later, Jahangir filed the writ petition.

Though former Mayor Jahangir and his counsel submitted documents in support of repaying the loan along with the nomination paper, the returning officer cancelled his nomination during the scrutiny, said Jahangir.

Barrister Fida M Kamal, Advocate MK Rahman and Nakib Saiful Islam appeared for Jahangir while Attorney General AM Amin Uddin with Deputy Attorney General Samarendra Nath Biswash represented the state at the hearing.

In 2018, Jahangir Alam was elected as Mayor of Gazipur as ruling Awami League nominee.

In September 2021, videos of Jahangir making derogatory comments about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and martyred freedom fighters went viral on social media and on November 19, 2021, Awami League expelled him and later the Local Government Division removed him as Mayor of Gazipur alleging that he had grabbed land without  compensating the owners and worked against  public interest.

Awami League later took back Jahangir in the  party fold on the condition that he would not work against the party's interests or break party discipline again.