Following nomination appeal hearings, the Election Commission has given the green signal to 24 aspirants who had dual citizenship to contest the upcoming February 12 national election.
The EC held the hearings from January 10 to January 18. On the final day, the EC heard 24 appeals related to dual citizenship complications.
Earlier, the nomination papers of 15 candidates were declared valid by the Returning Officers (ROs), but separate appeals were later filed against them with the EC. During the hearings, those appeals were rejected, thereby upholding the ROs’ decisions.
These are: Dhaka-1 Islami Andolan Bangladesh candidate Mohammad Nazrul Islam; Dinajpur-5 BNP candidate A K M Kamruzzaman; Shatkhira-4 BNP candidate Md Moniruzzaman; Faridpur-2 BNP candidate Shama Obaid; Sunamganj-2 BNP candidate Tahir Raihan Choudhury; Sunamganj-3 independent candidate Md Anwar Hossain; Moulvibazar-2 BNP candidate Md Shawkatul Islam; Habiganj-1 independent candidate Sheikh Sujat Miah; Brahmanbaria-3 Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Md Junayed Hasan; Brahmanbaria-4 BNP candidate Mushfikur Rahman; Feni-3 BNP candidate Abdul Awal Mintoo; Noakhali-1 IAB candidate Jahirul Islam; Cumilla-3 BNP candidate Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad; Manikganj-3 BNP candidate Afroza Khanam; and Sylhet-3 BNP candidate MA Malek.
On the other hand, the candidacies of 11 aspirants were cancelled by ROs over dual citizenship issues. The aspirants then filed separate appeals with the EC.
After hearings, the EC restored the candidacies of nine, while the remaining two were rejected and remain invalid.
The nine are: Rangpur-1 Jatiya Party candidate Md Manjum Ali; Chapainabaganj-2 Jatiya Party candidate Muh Khoorshid Alam; Natore-1 Khelafat Majlis candidate Md Azabul Haque; Jashore-2 Jamaat candidate Mohammad Mosleh Uddin Farid; Chattogram-9 Jamaat candidate Dr AKM Fazlul Haque; Chattogram-3 Jamaat candidate Mohammad Amzad Hossain; Kurigram-3 Jamaat candidate Md Mahbubul Alam; Sylhet-1 National Citizen Party (NCP) candidate Ehteshamul Haque; and Cumilla-10 BNP candidate Abdul Gaur Bhuiyan.
Mymensingh-6 independent candidate Tanvir Ahmed Rana and Kishorganj-1 IAB candidate Mohammad Azizur Rahman both lost their candidacies.
Asked about the legal position on dual citizenship and candidacy, Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarkar yesterday told The Daily Star, “Earlier, Article 66[2] of the Constitution barred foreign citizens from contesting elections. Following an amendment, Article 66[2][A] now allows a person to run if they have renounced foreign citizenship.”
About the conditions reviewed during appeals in such cases, he said, “The first condition is that the candidate had to renounce foreign citizenship. The second is that the application letter must be officially acknowledged. The third is that the citizenship cancellation fee must be paid.”
On January 19, a day after the final day of nomination appeal hearings, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said, “Following a major revolution, we now stand at a critical juncture. I am not siding with anyone. … Mr Kaikobad was not a Turkish citizen by choice; he had to remain one for 17-18 years. At least, that is my understanding under the law.
“There have been many such instances. [Amar Desh editor] Mahmudur Rahman became a Turkish citizen out of compulsion. Some dual citizens have held foreign citizenships from earlier times. They were persecuted and took up foreign citizenship to save their lives. If we cling to backwards thinking, we won’t be able to move forward.”
