Mintoo out of mayoral race

The High Court today upheld the Dhaka Divisional Commissioner’s order that rejected the nomination of Abdul Awal Mintoo, the BNP-backed mayoral candidate for the Dhaka North City Corporation polls.

The HC rejected the writ petition filed by Mintoo challenging cancellation of his nomination and seeking its directives upon the EC to allow him to participate in the city polls.

The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo passed the order as there was a violation of law in preparing his nomination paper, Deputy Attorney General Amatul Karim told The Daily Star.

Mintoo cannot run the DNCC elections following the HC order, the deputy attorney general said.

In his plea filed yesterday, Mintoo also prayed to the court to issue a rule upon the EC and the government to explain why the cancellation of his nomination should not be declared illegal.

On April 1, the DNCC returning officer rejected his nomination papers as the BNP heavyweight had picked an unqualified voter to support his candidacy.

On April 2, Mintoo filed an appeal with the Dhaka divisional commissioner, challenging the decision. But Commissioner Zillar Rahman rejected the appeal yesterday.

Under the election law, a DNCC voter has to propose one's candidacy and another has to second it.

Abdur Razzaque, who supported Mintoo's nomination, was a voter of Uttara-13 under Harirampur union parishad which is outside the DNCC area.