Bangladesh top court clears Kader Siddique’s nomination

The High Court yesterday asked the Election Commission to accept nomination paper of Krishak Sramik Janata League President Kader Siddique, allowing him to contest the Tangail-4 by-polls scheduled to be held on November 10.

The HC move came eight days after the EC cancelled Siddique's nomination paper on October 13 on charges of loan default.

The HC bench of Justice Miftahuddin Choudhury and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo yesterday passed the order after hearing a petition filed by Siddique challenging legality of the EC's decision.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters that the government would appeal to the Supreme Court against the verdict.

The EC scrapped Siddique's nomination paper following information provided by the Credit Information Bureau of Bangladesh Bank that his firm Sonar Bangla Engineering defaulted on a Tk 10.88 crore loan from Agrani Bank, Returning Officer Mohammad Alimuzzaman told The Daily Star earlier.

The EC also cancelled nomination paper of his wife Nasrin Siddique, who is a director of the organisation, on the same ground.

The seat fell vacant after Kader Siddique's brother Awami League leader Latif Siddique resigned from parliament on September 1 over his remarks on hajj made in the US last year.

Latif Siddique was also expelled from the AL and the cabinet for his remarks.

The KSJL in a release lambasted the attorney general saying the EC had the right to appeal against the HC decision. “But the attorney general should not have any role to this end,” Iqbal Siddique, joint secretary of KSJL, said in the statement.