BNP backs Tabith, Abbas

The Appellate Division  (AD) of Supreme Court (SC) has refused to rule on BNP chairperson's Adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo's petition aiming to overturn the Election Commission (EC)'s decision to scrap his poll nomination for the Dhaka North mayor  post, reports bdnews24.com.

The 'no-rule' decision of the four-member bench, led by Chief Justice SK Sinha, on Thursday on Mintoo's petition seeking stay of the April 6 High Court decision upholding an EC move means he stays out of the mayoral race.

Subsequently, BNP declared Mintoo’s son - Tabith Awal - as the party’s mayoral candidate for Dhaka North. BNP earlier backed Mirza Abbas as mayoral candidate for Dhaka South.

Barristers Rokonuddin Mahmud and Mahbub Uddin Khokon argued for Mintoo, while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state in the hearing.

The Multimode Group chairman had approached the top appeals court on Tuesday, asking for a stay on the High Court order. The chamber judge had forwarded the matter to a regular bench for hearing on Thursday.

The High Court, only a day before, had rejected outright Mintoo's appeal against the cancellation of his nomination.