The High Court has cleared the way for BNP-nominated candidate M. A. Quayum to contest the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election from the Dhaka-11 constituency.
On Tuesday, a High Court bench comprising Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Md. Ashif Hasan dismissed a writ petition filed by Nahid Islam, the convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and a rival candidate in the same seat. The petition had sought to disqualify M. A. Quayum from the race.
Allegations of Dual Citizenship
The legal challenge arose after Nahid Islam alleged that M. A. Quayum holds dual citizenship in Vanuatu and had concealed this information in his election affidavit. Nahid Islam’s legal team argued that such concealment should render his candidacy invalid under constitutional law.
However, the Returning Officer had previously accepted M. A. Quayum’s nomination on January 3, and he was officially allocated the ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ symbol on January 22.
The Court’s Ruling
During the hearing, senior advocate Ahsanul Karim, representing M. A. Quayum, argued that the writ was based on unverified social media information. He further stated that according to legal protocol, any election-related disputes arising after the announcement of the schedule must be resolved through an Election Tribunal rather than a writ petition.
The court agreed with the defense’s position and summarily dismissed the petition.
Reaction from Legal Teams
Following the order, Ahsanul Karim confirmed that M. A. Quayum remains a valid candidate and will continue his campaign as planned. On the other hand, Mohammad Hossain, the senior lawyer for Nahid Islam, informed the media that they intend to appeal the High Court’s decision in the Appellate Division.
With the election scheduled for February 12, 2026, under an interim administration, the contest in Dhaka-11 is expected to be a high-stakes battle between the BNP and the 11-party alliance led by the NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami.
