BNP's Cumilla-4 candidate Munshi barred from contesting polls

The Appellate Division on Sunday rejected a writ petition filed by BNP-nominated candidate Manjurul Ahsan Munshi, upholding the Election Commission's decision to cancel his candidacy for the Cumilla-4 constituency on charges of loan default, reports UNB.

The Appellate Division bench, led by Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, passed the order after dismissing Munshi's leave-to-appeal petition.

Earlier, the High Court (HC) had declared Manjurul Ahsan Munshi's candidacy invalid. He later filed an appeal challenging the HC verdict.

The BNP candidate faces allegations of loan default after concealing relevant information in his affidavit.

Although the returning officer initially found his nomination valid, the Election Commission cancelled it on January 17 following objections raised by NCP candidate Hasnat Abdullah, who alleged that Munshi was a loan defaulter.