The Chamber Court has ordered the immediate removal of the name of Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna from the list of loan defaulters, clearing the way for him to contest the upcoming national election from Bogura.

The order was passed on Monday (29 December) morning by the Chamber Court of Justice Md Rezaul Haque. The court also stayed an earlier High Court order for eight weeks.

Earlier, it had been stated that under Clause 12(1), sub-clause (Tha) of the National Parliamentary Election Conduct Manual, Manna would be ineligible to contest the election as he remained a loan defaulter until the day before submission of nomination papers.

On Sunday, an appeal filed by Manna was heard at the Chamber Judge Court of the Supreme Court, presided over by Justice Rezaul Haque. Following the hearing, the court fixed Monday for further proceedings. 

As no order was passed that day, state lawyers had earlier claimed that Manna remained a loan defaulter on 28 December—the final day before nomination submission—thereby making him ineligible to participate in the upcoming parliamentary election.

During Sunday’s hearing, Barristers Jyotirmoy Barua and Ahsanul Karim, along with Advocate Mamun Mahbub, represented the petitioner. The state was represented by Additional Attorney General Zahirlul Haque Sumon and Assistant Attorney General Md Ujjwal Hossain.

After the hearing, Assistant Attorney General Ujjwal Hossain stated that under Clause 12(1), sub-clause (Tha), Mahmudur Rahman Manna was not eligible to contest the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election, as the Appellate Division did not issue an order prior to the nomination deadline, leaving him listed as a loan defaulter.

On 21 December, Islami Bank cancelled an earlier sanction letter after finding evidence of document forgery in an application for loan rescheduling, further complicating Manna’s loan-related legal situation.

Previously, the High Court dismissed a writ petition filed by Manna. On Wednesday, a High Court bench comprising Justice Md Bazlur Rahman and Justice Md Manjur Alam rejected the petition.

As part of the joint opposition movement, the BNP left the Bogura-2 seat for Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna. He had announced plans to contest the election using his party symbol, the kettle.

On Saturday (27 December), Manna held a press conference at Nagorik Oikya’s central office on Topkhana Road in the capital, seeking financial assistance from acquaintances to avoid being classified as a loan defaulter.

At the press conference, Manna said he had taken loans around 2007–08 to establish a cold storage facility in his constituency. 

He claimed that after political problems with the Awami League in 2014, he was imprisoned and subsequently became completely detached from the business. He said his business partner, a local Awami League leader at the union level, later became the managing director of the enterprise.

Manna stated that he initially took loans amounting to Tk 10–12 crore, which have now increased to Tk 36 crore. He added that after 5 August, murder and money laundering cases were filed against the managing director, who has since fled the country with his wife.

According to Manna, resolving the loan default requires the managing director to be produced before the court, but there is little likelihood of his surrender. He had earlier said that if Sunday’s court verdict went against him, he would be unable to contest the election.

He also said that if people who know and trust him come forward to provide financial support, he wishes to contest the election.