Writ challenging Tabith’s candidacy rejected

The High Court today rejected a writ that challenged candidacy of BNP candidate Tabith Awal in the upcoming Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayoral election.

A High court bench comprising Justice JBM Hasan and Justice Md Khairul Alam passed the order after a hearing on the writ today.

AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik, a retired justice of the Appellate Division, filed the writ with the court on Sunday alleging that Tabith - a mayoral candidate of the BNP - concealed his wealth information in the election affidavit.

The defence lawyer Khairul Alam Chowdhury said, "The writ petitioner presented some information about a company of Tabith in Singapore. As only four days is left of the election, so it is not possible to verify the allegation during this short time."

On January 23, the writ petitioner Shamsuddin asked for the cancellation of Tabith's candidacy while meeting with Election Commissioner Md Rafiqul Islam.

He also submitted a written complaint to the chief election commissioner in this regard.

On the same day, Shamsuddin told the reports that Tabith along with his two associates have shares in a Singaporean company named the NFM Energy Private Ltd. 

The trio became the owners of all shares of the company. The price of the company has been shown as $2 million, he continued.

Tabith did not mention the company's name in his election affidavit, said Shamsuddin.

According to rules, a candidate has to mention his/her and his family member's wealth information in the affidavit.

As the election commission did not take any action regarding the appeal, Shamsuddin filed the writ petition.