EC clears Nazmul Huda, Mirza Abbas, wife Afroza to run for parliament

The Election Commission has accepted the candidacy of former BNP leader Nazmul Huda on appeal for parliamentary elections.

The commission on Saturday also cleared BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas to run in the Dec 30 vote.

The returning officer had rejected Huda’s nomination as he neither mentioned any party nor did he specify whether he wished to contest as an independent candidate.

EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said now Huda can seel votes as an independent candidate.

Huda said the mandatory support of 1 percent voters was not applicable in his his case as he was a former MP.

The returning officer had accepted Mirza Abbas’ nomination, but his rival candidate Workers Party chief Rashed Khan Menon contested the decision.

Now the EC has scrapped Menon’s petition.

Afroza, who also heads the Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal, had been snubbed due to default loans and unpaid phone bills during scrutiny.

Nazmul Huda had floated the BNF alliance and later the Trinamool BNP after being ousted from the BNP as a member of its policymaking body.

He had sought the Awami League’s ticket for the Dhaka-17 seat after joining the Grand Alliance led by the ruling party recently.

The politician sat next to Mirza Abbas, who is a member of the BNP’s policymaking body now, at the commission during the hearing.

They exchanged greetings and discussed personal and political issues as well.

At the hearing, the EC dismissed BNP leader Amanullah Aman’s appeal seeking nomination for Dhaka-2.

The returning officer had rejected his nomination because of his conviction.

His son Erfan Ibn Aman Omi, however, has retained candidacy for the seat consisted of Keraniganj and Kamrangirchar areas as the BNP nominee.