Nomination papers of Obaidul Quader’s brother cancelled for information concealment

Shahadat Hossain, the younger brother of Awami League‍‍`s General Secretary and Minister of Road Transport and Bridges, Obaidul Quader, has had his nomination papers canceled for the Chairman‍‍`s post in the upcoming Noakhali‍‍`s Companyganj Upazila Parishad election.

This decision came to light on Sunday (May 5) at noon when Returning Officer and Additional District Magistrate Mohammad Ismail annulled his endorsement letter due to the concealment of legal case and income statement information.

Expressing his stance on the matter, Shahadat Hossain claimed, "I was unaware of the case filed under my name. Moreover, the income statement was submitted, but the returning officer overlooked it. I have the opportunity to appeal, and I will do so. Hopefully, my candidacy will be validated. My brother is a minister, and by relatives, it means immediate family members like spouses or children. The Prime Minister has clarified this, and so has my brother, Obaidul Quader."

On 21 April, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had issued a directive prohibiting the participation of offspring, family members, and close relatives of party MPs, ministers, and favored candidates in the upcoming upazila elections, aiming to ensure fairness and transparency in the electoral process.

For more reading: No ‘My Men’ of MP-Ministers be in upazilla polls: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Regarding this issue, Mohammad Ismail, the returning officer and additional district magistrate for the Companyganj Upazila Parishad election, stated, "After scrutiny, Shahadat Hossain‍‍`s nomination letter for the Chairman‍‍`s post was canceled due to the concealment of case and income statement information. The district administration has advised him to appeal after revision."

It‍‍`s noteworthy that according to the details of the third phase of the Upazila Parishad election, the deadline for withdrawal of candidacy ends on May 12, while the symbol allocation is set for May 13. The voting will take place on May 29. A total of 10 candidates have submitted nomination papers for the Chairman and Vice-Chairman posts in the Companyganj Upazila Parishad election. Among them, four candidates are contesting for the Chairman‍‍`s position, three for the Vice-Chairman, and three for the Reserved Female Vice-Chairman. Apart from Shahadat Hossain, all other candidates have been validated.