Staff Reporter :
The Election Commission (EC) has declared nomination papers of Oikyafront candidate Reza Kibria valid for Habiganj-1 Constituency.
The commission gave the judgement after hearing an appeal filed against rejection of his nomination papers by the returning officer.
On December 2 the returning officer dismissed Reza Kibria’s application because he did not clear credit card loans for Tk 5,500 only.
According to the returning officer, the candidature of Reza Kibria, a contender from Gonoforum, was rejected based on information from Citibank’s Credit Card Division and Dhaka Bank that he is a defaulter credit card payment, which he could not clear due to his staying abroad.
Reza Kibria appealed to the Election Commission for justice. The Commission then approved his nomination.
Reza Kibria told reporters after the hearing that he had been accused of having unpaid credit card debt, but that he had never used a credit card and so had no dues.
“I got justice,” he said in response to a question. “I hope everyone will get justice.”
Asked whether the restoration of his nomination had strengthened his faith in the Election Commission, he said: “I will be able to answer the question the day after the election.”
Reza Kibria’s father Shah AMS Kibria had served as Sheikh Hasina’s Finance Minister from 1996 to 2001. The former UN official became a topic of discussion after he declared that he would join the Gono Forum and its Oikyafront alliance with the BNP.
Reza Kibria’s father had been elected as the MP from the Habiganj-1 seat in 2001 and was killed in a grenade attack in Habiganj during BNP rule in 2005.
“My father was in the Awami League, but I have never been involved with politics. The thing is that the Awami League could not try my father’s murderers even though 14 years elapsed.”
