Menon appeals against Abbas' candidature

Rashed Khan Menon, a candidate of the ruling Awami League (AL)-led grand alliance, filed on Wednesday a petition with the Election Commission challenging the candidature of Jatiya Okiya Front's Mirza Abbas, report agencies.

Lawyer Ziad al Malum, on behalf of Menon, submitted the petition before the appellate authority, EC, in the afternoon against the validity of Abbas' nomination paper filed for Dhaka-8 constituency in the parliamentary elections.

During Sunday's scrutiny, the returning officer declared valid the nomination paper of BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas in the constituency.

In Dhaka-8, Social Welfare Minister Rashed Khan Menon is also a valid contestant of the Workers Party, a component of the ruling AL-led 14-party alliance.

After submission of the petition, Ziad told reporters Mirza Abbas concealed that his wife Afroza Abbas is a loan defaulter.

In Dhaka-8, a total of 22 aspirants submitted nomination papers to contest the national election, but the returning officer rejected seven nomination papers.

During Sunday's scrutiny, the returning officers accepted total 2,279 nomination papers and rejected 786 others submitted in the country's 300 constituencies to contest the 11th national election slated for December 30.