The petitioner alleged that the Noakhali-6 MP concealed asset information and submitted false details in his election affidavit.
High Court. Photo: Courtesy
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High Court. Photo: Courtesy
The High Court has dismissed a writ petition seeking to declare the parliamentary seat of Noakhali-6 (Hatia) lawmaker Abdul Hannan Masud vacant over allegations of concealing asset information and submitting false details in his election affidavit.
A High Court bench comprising Justice Shikdar Mahmud Razi and Justice Fatema Anwar passed the order today (9 November).
Zahirul Islam Musa, a lawyer for Hannan Masud, told journalists that the court dismissed the petition as “not pressed as being rejected”.
He said the court observed that discrepancies in asset declarations in an election affidavit are questions of fact that cannot be resolved through a writ petition before the High Court.
“There are appropriate authorities to resolve such matters, but the petitioners did not approach those authorities. Considering all aspects, the court dismissed the writ petition,” he said.
Nazmul Hossain, a resident of Hatia upazila and a voter in the constituency, filed the writ petition on 19 August.
He sought an order declaring the Noakhali-6 parliamentary seat vacant and a rule asking the authorities to explain why Hannan Masud’s parliamentary membership should not be cancelled and why legal action and an investigation should not be initiated against him.
The petition also sought directions to the Election Commission and the Parliament Secretariat, among other relevant authorities, to dispose of applications submitted to them over the allegations.
On the day the petition was filed, lawyer Ibrahim Khalil told journalists that Abdul Hannan Masud had admitted to signing and submitting his election affidavit without knowing its contents.
The petitioners argued that this amounted to falsification of the affidavit and approached the High Court seeking legal remedies over the alleged irregularities.
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