The Election Commission Bangladesh has upheld the candidacy of former minister Latif Siddique, allowing him to contest the Tangail-4 seat as an independent candidate in the 13th national parliamentary election.
The decision was taken after appeal hearings at the Election Bhaban in Agargaon on Sunday.
The commission dismissed an appeal challenging the validity of Latif Siddique’s nomination, clearing the final hurdle to his participation in the election.
The appeal was filed by Jatiya Party candidate Md Liaqat Ali from the same constituency, who sought the cancellation of Latif Siddique’s nomination.
Arguing before the commission, the petitioner’s lawyer claimed that Latif Siddique should be barred from contesting as he is a leader of the ousted Awami League.
Responding to the argument, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said a political party may be banned, but an individual is not, and the commission accordingly upheld Latif Siddique’s nomination.
In a separate decision on the same day, the commission also reinstated the candidacy of independent aspirant Mizanur Rahman for the Dhaka-4 constituency.
Mizanur Rahman came into the public spotlight in 2019 after he went to the Karwan Bazar office of the then managing director of WASA with water, intending to serve it as sherbet, in protest over water quality issues.
The commission’s decisions followed the conclusion of appeal hearings against returning officers’ rulings on nomination papers for the 13th national parliamentary election.
