Sohel Rana’s nomination restored for election, allegations against Pankaj, Jakob dismissed

The Election Commission has approved Barishal-2 Jatiya Party candidate Masud Parvez Sohel Rana for the 11th parliamentary election.

Allegations challenging the nominations of Barishal-4 Awami League pick Pankaj Debnath and Bhola-4 boat pick Abdullah Al Islam Jakob have also been dismissed.

The EC began hearing the second day of reviews at its headquarters around 10am on Friday. Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda and Election Commissioners Mahbub Talukdar, Rafiqul Islam, Kabita Khanam and Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury are deciding on the reviews.

Of the 543 nominations up for appeal, the EC is hearing No. 161 through No. 310 today.

As of 1pm, the commission heard 78 appeals and restored the nominations of 49. An additional 28 were rejected, while the decision on one candidate was deferred.

The EC heard 160 reviews on Thursday and restored the nominations of 80. The election officials will complete the hearings on the reviews on Saturday.

Jatiya Party Presidium Member Masud Parvez Sohel Rana submitted his nomination for the Barishal-2 (Ujirpur-Banripara) seat. His nomination was rejected by the returning officer because he had a Tk 4,149 unpaid electricity bill.

The popular ‘80s actor appealed the decision after paying the bill and had his nomination restored.

“The returning officer rejected my nomination in accordance with the law,” he told the media. “I had an unpaid bill. I paid it. I appealed the decision because I had faith in the authority.”

Mezbah Uddin Sarkar and Mahabub Alam had challenged the nomination of Barishal-4 candidate Pankaj Debnath, claiming that he had received a 13-year jail sentence in a graft case that he had intentionally left out of his application.

“I was later acquitted in that case,” Debnath said. “The Appellate Division’s bench did not accept the appeal.”

He also denied the allegations brought against him during 1/11 and said that the Supreme Court had found him innocent.

BNP leader Nazim Uddin Alam had brought allegations of certificate fraud against Bhola-4 Awami League pick Abdullah Al Islam Jakob, but the EC dismissed the allegation when reviewing the case.