BNP’s Andaleeve Partho challenges ‘loan fraud’ Farooque’s candidacy at High Court

Andaleeve Rahman Partho has moved the High Court for orders cancelling the candidacy of Akbar Hossain Pathan Farooque, his rival from the ruling Awami League.

Andaleeve, a barrister nominated by the BNP to contest in the parliamentary election from Dhaka-17, himself conducted the hearing along with lawyer Ruhul Kuddus Kajal on Monday.

A partial hearing was held before the vacation bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam, who scheduled the next hearing for Wednesday. 

“Farooque is a self-proclaimed loan defaulter,” Kajal told bdnews24.com.

He had pleaded with the High Court to relieve him of the obligations to pay up credit before submitting his nomination documents.

“In his writ petition, he mentioned that he owed ... money to Sonali Bank and I have found proof of this in comments he had made. No orders were passed over that writ petition,” the lawyer said.

In his affidavit, Farooque said he had requested the Sonali Bank to reschedule his loan payments but was unaware of what the bank decided do about his plea. “This makes him a defaulter,” the lawyer said.

But Farooque has “two letters from the finance minister” in his support, added the lawyer. Partho argued that Farooque’s candidacy is therefore not legitimate.

Head of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party and a former MP from Bhola, Partho was handed the ticket for Dhaka-17 by ally BNP, a seat comprising the capital’s Gulshan, Banani and Dhaka Cantonment area.

He is son-in-law to Sheikh Helal, son of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s brother Sheikh Naser.

Farooque, a popular Bangla film star of yesteryears, bagged the ruling Awami League’s highly-sought ticket for Dhaka-17. He will be competing for public office for the first time when polls open on Dec 30.