Biplob Rahman
bdnews24.com Senior Correspondent
Dhaka, Dec 29 (bdnews24.com) - Awami League leader Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir Friday filed an appeal with the Election Commission challenging the candidacy of former state minister for education ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon, EC secretary Abdur Rashid Sarker said.
Alamgir alleged that the BNP leader has dual citizenship of US and Bangladesh, and asked the commission to cancel his nomination.
The AL leader made the same complaint against Milon in the build-up to the last parliamentary elections, Sarker said. "The commission will look into the matter," he said.
Milon beat Mohiuddin in the last parliamentary elections.
Sarker said if the nomination of one candidate is once declared legal, the commission cannot cancel it.
"Only the returning officer is entitled to declare a candidate legal or illegal," he said.
"If any bank or person brings allegations of irregularity in candidacies against a returning officer, we will look into that case," Sarker said. "If the returning officer is proved guilty, he will face departmental action."
According to election rules, candidates can appeal against the rejection of candidacy but there is no chance to appeal against the candidacy once accepted, Sarker said.
Alamgir's appeal against Milon is the first appeal against a legal candidate this year, he said.
The EC received 22 such appeals in 2001 elections. Some banks accused candidates of defaulting on loans. The appeals were finally turned down.
Milon informed the commission that he cancelled his US citizenship much earlier.
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