SC clears way for Manna to contest election
Staff Reporter:
The Supreme Court’s Appellate Division has cleared the way for Nagorik Oikko President Mahmudur Rahman Manna to contest elections by staying his loan defaulter status and removing his name from the Credit Information Bureau (CIB) list.
The order came from Chamber Judge Justice Md Rezaul Haque on Monday who stayed for eight weeks both the High Court ruling and Manna’s inclusion in the CIB defaulters’ list. As a result, there is currently no legal bar to his participation in the election.
Earlier, Manna had filed a petition with the High Court seeking removal of his name from the CIB list.
However, the High Court rejected the petition on 24 December, creating a legal obstacle to his eligibility to vote and contest elections.
Challenging that decision, Manna moved the Appellate Division’s chamber court, seeking a stay on the High Court order, permission to reschedule the loan, and removal of his name from the CIB list.
After the hearing, Manna’s lawyer Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua told reporters that the chamber court’s order had removed all legal barriers to his client’s election bid. Senior advocates Ahsanul Karim and Mamun Mahbub represented Manna during the hearing. Ahsanul Karim said the loan in question had already been rescheduled, adding that there was no longer any obstacle to contesting the election.
Islamic Bank Bangladesh Limited’s lawyer, M Abdul Qayyum, said the petitioner had sought a stay on the CIB listing, as individuals named as loan defaulters are legally barred from contesting elections.
“The honourable judge in chambers has stayed the CIB listing today. As a result, there should be no obstacle to his participation in the election at this stage,” he said.
Explaining the background, Qayyum noted that the dispute arose from loans taken by a company linked to Manna’s business interests, which had been classified as defaulted. “Subsequently, the loans have been rescheduled and are now moving towards regularisation following his application. Islamic Bank is not currently treating him as a loan defaulter,” he added.
Earlier, on 10 December, Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited’s Bogura Borogola branch issued a call-back notice seeking recovery of Tk38.04 crore from Afaku Cold Storage Limited, a company led by Manna.
The notice asked the borrowers to clear the dues by 18 December, warning of legal action in case of failure.
Court documents show that Afaku Cold Storage is owned by Mahmudur Rahman Manna (50%), Managing Director ABM Nazmul Qadir Shajahan Chowdhury (25%), and Director Ismat Ara Laizu (25%). A separate notice issued on 3 December instructed the company’s facility at Kichok Bazar in Shibganj, Bogura, to repay Tk38.04 crore in defaulted investment.