Hasanat Abdullah, a candidate in Cumilla-4 constituency, on Friday expressed concern over the neutrality of the administration in the upcoming election, alleging that it appears to be favouring BNP.
Speaking to journalists after the scrutiny of nomination papers at the Cumilla District Returning Officer’s office, Hasanat, chief organiser (southern) of National Citizen Party (NCP), said the administration’s conduct raised questions about the prospects of a fair, neutral and participatory election.
“The administration seems to have leaned towards the BNP. Its contradictory behaviour makes us doubtful about how neutral the election process will be,” he said.
Following the scrutiny, Returning Officer Md Reza Hasan declared Hasanat Abdullah’s nomination paper valid.
During the verification process, Hasanat Abdullah and his legal counsel accused BNP candidate Engineer Manjurul Ahsan Munshi of concealing information in his affidavit.
The allegations led to a heated exchange between representatives of both sides for nearly half an hour. The returning officer advised the parties to submit complaints through proper legal channels.
Despite the objections, the returning officer later declared the nomination papers of both candidates valid.
Hasanat Abdullah claimed that his rival was a bank defaulter who had taken loans from various institutions without repayment and had also concealed a High Court stay order in his affidavit. “Under the election rules, concealing required personal information is grounds for cancellation of candidacy,” he said.
He added that despite presenting sufficient evidence and arguments, the administration’s neutrality remained questionable.
However, following the scrutiny, Hasanat Abdullah and Manjurul Ahsan Munshi exchanged courtesies and met briefly.
