Nagorik Oikya chief Manna's nomination declared valid in Dhaka-18
After reviewing the revised papers, election officials completed the verification process and approved the nomination, the returning officer said
The nomination of Mahmudur Rahman Manna, president of Nagorik Oikya, has been declared valid in the Dhaka-18 constituency.
The decision was confirmed this evening (3 January) by Dhaka-18 Returning Officer Sharf Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury. Earlier in the day, Manna's nomination papers were temporarily withheld due to discrepancies found in his affidavit and income tax return.
During the announcement of the scrutiny results, the returning officer informed Manna's representatives of the inconsistencies. They subsequently sought and were granted one hour to submit corrected documents.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
After reviewing the revised papers, election officials completed the verification process and approved the nomination, the returning officer said.
Reacting to the decision, Manna said he had contested elections three to four times before but had never experienced such difficulties in the process. He thanked the Election Commission for declaring his nomination valid.
He added that a credible and fair election is possible if Election Commission officials perform their duties independently. However, he warned that elections lose their credibility if undue pressure is exerted on the commission, undermining past movements and sacrifices.
Manna also submitted nomination papers in the Bogura-2 constituency. He said he would file an appeal against the decision to cancel his nomination there.
