HC Rejects Manna’s Petition, Loan Defaulter Status Blocks Bogura-2 Bid

On the same day that BNP announced its decision to give the Bogura seat to Mahmudur Rahman Manna, the President of Nagorik Oikya, a High Court order became an obstacle for him to contest in the upcoming election.

Manna had filed a writ petition in the High Court to remove his name from the list of loan defaulters (Credit Information Bureau or CIB) of banks. However, on Wednesday, a High Court bench comprising Justice Md. Bazlur Rahman and Justice Md. Monjur Alam outrightly dismissed the petition.

Mahmudur Rahman Manna is a partner of Afaku Cold Storage Limited. He had filed the writ challenging the validity of including his name in the CIB report in the name of this cold storage, since defaulters are ineligible to contest elections.

Senior lawyer Ahsanul Karim and lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua represented Mahmudur Rahman in court. Additional Attorney General Anik R. Haque and Deputy Attorney General Muhammad Shafiqul Rahman appeared for the state.

Jyotirmoy Barua stated that Mahmudur Rahman Manna owns 50 percent shares of Afaku Cold Storage Limited. A loan was taken in the name of this cold storage from Islami Bank, Bogura branch. Currently, more than BDT 36 crore is due to Islami Bank. Upon Mahmudur Rahman’s request, Bangladesh Bank wrote to Islami Bank to reschedule the loan, and the bank rescheduled it. He has already paid more than BDT 1.26 crore. However, as his name was not removed from the loan defaulters list, he filed the writ petition.

With the High Court dismissing the petition, Manna’s name remains in the loan defaulters list, preventing him from contesting in the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections scheduled for February 12.

A two-time VP of DUCSU and a former Awami League leader, Mahmudur Rahman is preparing to contest from the Bogura-2 (Shibganj) constituency. Although he has run for parliament multiple times before, he has never been elected.

This time, he has received the support of BNP. The party’s decision to give him the Bogura-2 seat as a leader of an allied party was announced today in a press conference by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.