Shahjahan Omar can contest national polls: HC

The High Court has cleared the way for Shahjahan Omar, the Jhalakathi-1 Awami League candidate who recently left the BNP, to contest the 12th national election.

The HC bench of Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman and Justice Md Bashir Ullah passed the order on Wednesday responding to a writ petition that challenged legality of the nomination papers of Omar.

The court summarily rejected the plea.

Deputy Attorney General Md Shafiqul Islam Siddique said there is no legal bar for Shahjahan to contest the 12th national election following the HC order.

He said Nasrin Khanam, a voter from Jhalakathi-1 constituency, submitted the petition challenging legality of the EC's decision to accept Shahjahan's nomination and allowing him to participate in the polls.

In the petition, Nasrin said Shahjahan has not provided the information in his affidavit submitted to the Election Commission about his being convicted and sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment by a lower court in a corruption case.

She also appealed to the HC to cancel his candidacy for suppressing information in the affidavit.

DAG Shafiqul said the HC has scrapped the jail sentence of Shahjahan Omar and acquitted him of the corruption case.

Therefore, he is no more a convicted person and on this ground the HC rejected the writ petition, he said.