Shammi Ahmed files another petition to contest Jan 7 polls

Awami League candidate Shammi Ahmed again filed a petition with the Supreme Court today seeking its permission to contest the January 7 national election from Barishal-4 constituency.

With the latest petition, Shammi submitted total three petitions to the Appellate Division of the SC with a view to running the polls race.

In the petition, Shammi prayed to the apex court for asking the Election Commission to allocate election symbol to her so that she can compete the elections, saying that she is no more a citizen of a foreign country as she applied to the office concerned on November 27 seeking cancellation of her Australian citizenship, Senior Advocate Shah Monjurul Hoque, a lawyer for Shammi, told The Daily Star.

Advocate Monjurul also said the application for cancellation of Shammi's Australian citizenship has become effective from November 27 and her nomination papers are valid.

After the hearing on the petition today, Chamber judge of the Appellate Division Justice M Enayetur Rahim sent the matter to its full bench and set January 2 for a further hearing and passing order on the matter.

On December 21, the same chamber judge sent another petition of Shammi Ahmed, who sought for vacating its order that upheld cancellation of her candidacy from Barishal-4.

Earlier on December 19, the SC chamber judge affirmed a High Court order that upheld the EC's decision to cancel her nomination papers due to her dual citizenships.

Several senior lawyers of the SC including m Yusuf Hossain Humayun, Md Momtaz Uddin Fakir, Md Motaher Hossain Sazu, Mohammad Sayed Ahmed Raza and Shah Monjurul Hoque appeared for Shammi Ahmed before the apex court's chamber judge during hearing of the petition today.