BNP candidates for KCC, GCC polls mired in cases

BNP-nominated mayoral candidates for Khulna and Gazipur City Corporation elections (KCC and GCC elections) are mired in cases, but candidates of the Awami League are free from all legal hassles. According to his election affidavit, Awami League candidate for GCC polls Md Jahangir Alom had two cases against him, but he was exempted from one in 2004, and acquitted from the other in 2005. However, two criminal cases filed against BNP-backed candidate for the GCC election MD Hasan Uddin Sarkar is still going on. One of the cases is under trial, while the other is under investigation. Sarkar’s election affidavit mentioned that one case was filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Tejgaon Industrial area, which is still under trial in Dhaka. The other case, which was filed with Tongi Police Station under the Special Powers Act, is being investigated under a court of a chief judicial magistrate. Three other cases filed against Sarkar have been settled. A similar scenario has been observed in Khulna City Corporation. Awami League candidate for the KCC election Talukder Abdul Khalek had nine cases filed against him. But he has been exempted from four cases, and acquitted from the other five. On the other hand, four cases filed against BNP candidate Nazrul Islam Manju are currently on trial. Of them, two are under the jurisdiction of a chief metropolitan magistrate court. One of these cases is under investigation and charge framing is pending for the other one. The remaining two cases are also under trial in different Khulna courts. Final reports for two of the three more cases filed against Manju have been submitted, and he was exempted for remaining one.

Cases against other candidates

A case, filed against Communist Party candidate for GCC mayoral position Kazi Ruhul Amin in Ramna police station, is on trial in a chief metropolitan magistrate court. Ruhul Amin is currently out on bail. He was previously acquitted in three other cases. Independent candidate for GCC polls, Md Sanaullah is currently accused in two cases and both of them are on trial in different Gazipur courts. He has been acquitted in one case. No clear information regarding the income and legal issues of MD Jalam Uddin, another candidate for the GCC polls could be found, as his election affidavit lacked details. The Jatiya Party-backed candidate for KCC election SM Shafiqur Rahman is accused in two cases. He got bail in one of the cases, and the other one has been stayed by the High Court. Shafiqur also managed to secure bail in a case on trial in a chief judicial magistrate court in Barisal.