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Jamaat-e-Islami's AKM Fazlul Haque has failed to win back his candidacy for the Chattogram-9 constituency after the Election Commission (EC) rejected his appeal, citing dual citizenship.
Fazlul's nomination papers were rejected after scrutiny as he failed to provide documents proving that he had formally renounced his United States citizenship. The EC upheld that decision at an appeal hearing on Monday.
Fazlul said he would now consider taking the matter to court, according to bdnews24.com.
“I have been discriminated against. Many BNP candidates were allowed to contest without submitting documents related to dual citizenship, but both the returning officer and the Election Commission rejected my candidature,” he said after the hearing.
The appeal hearings were chaired by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin and are being held at the EC headquarters in Dhaka's Agargaon.
Chattogram-9, which includes the Kotwali and Baklia areas of the port city, is regarded as one of the more politically significant constituencies in the district. The BNP candidate in the seat is Abu Sufian, a former convenor of the party’s Chattogram South District unit.
A total of 12 candidates, including nominees from Jamaat and the BNP, submitted nomination papers for the constituency.
Although Fazlul had held US citizenship, he claimed in an affidavit that he renounced it on December 28.
The EC is hearing a total of 645 appeals, with proceedings expected to conclude by January 17.
Under the election schedule, candidates have until January 20 to withdraw their nominations. Final candidates will be confirmed the following day, when electoral symbols will be allocated.