HC declares cancelation of Zayed Khan’s candidacy illegal

The appellate board’s decision that cancelled the candidacy of Zayed Khan and declared Nipun Akter as general secretary of the Bangladesh Film Artistes’ Association (BFAA) is illegal.

Consequently, there is no legal bar for Zayed Khan to discharge the duty as general secretary of the BFAA.

A virtual bench of the High Court comprising Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman passed the order on Wednesday.

However, Nipun Akter said that she will appeal against the HC order.

Advocate Rokon Uddin Mahmud argued for the petition of Nipun Akter, while Advocates Ahsanul Karim and Nahid Sultana Juthi stood for Zayed Khan.

On February 5, the election appellate board disqualified Zayed Khan’s candidacy and declared Nipun as general secretary on allegations of not adhering to electoral code of conduct.

On February 7, the High Court stayed for a week the appellate board’s decision.

The court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the appellate board’s decision should not be declared illegal.

The bench passed the order and issued the rule following a writ petition filed by Zayed Khan, challenging the appellate board decision against him.

On February 8, Nipun Akter filed an appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the High Court order.

On February 9, the Appellate Division said neither Zayed Khan nor his rival, Nipun Akter, could hold the office of the general secretary until a full-bench hearing on the controversy was held.

On February 14, the Appellate Division upheld the status quo passed by its chamber-judge court on the post of general secretary.

A six-member Appellate Division bench, headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, passed the order and directed the High Court to settle the issue.

The voting in the 17th BFAA election was held at Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) premises on January 28.

Actors Ilias Kanchan and Zayed Khan were announced elected as the president and general secretary respectively of the body for the 2022-2024 term.

After the results, Nipun, who was narrowly defeated by Zayed Khan, brought allegations of buying votes in exchange for money against him and demanded re-election.