AL candidate for Faridpur-3 allegedly a dual citizen

Independent candidate for Faridpur-3 constituency (Sadar) AK Azad on Friday submitted an application to the Election Commission (EC) seeking cancellation of candidature of Awami League (AL)-nominated candidate Shamim Haque for holding dual citizenship.

Lawyer Golam Kibria, on behalf of the independent candidate, a renowned industrialist of the country, submitted the application to the EC, alleging the AL-candidate to be a Dutch citizen, so it may even turn out that she doesn‍‍`t have Bangladeshi citizenship at all. 

On December 5, Faridpur Deputy Commissioner (DC) and also Returning Officer Kamrul Ahsan Talukder declared the nomination papers of the AL-backed candidate valid during the scrutiny, despite the objection from the independent candidate.

However, the returning officer defended the matter saying that the plaintiff could not submit any document in favour of their allegations.

The AL candidate has recently submitted an application to Faridpur passport office to issue a Bangladeshi passport while he now bears a Dutch passport with the number ‘BY60F0J74’ and it shows he was born on October 21, 1960.

In the submitted application, Shamim Haque marked ‘Okay’ the option of dual citizenship and mentioned as a citizen of the Netherlands.

Lawyer Kibria said they appealed against the order of the returning officer.

According to section 66 (2) of the constitution and the Representation of the People Order (RPO), a foreign citizen can’t contest the national parliamentary elections in Bangladesh.

Besides, the AL candidate concealed the matter in the affidavit.