DHAKA: The Supreme Court Thursday endorsed the cancellation of ruling-party lawmaker Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir’s nomination for election and thereby left his parliament membership virtually void.

After the final verdict on the election dispute, Election Commission’s lawyer Advocate Prabir Niogi told journalists that the Azwami League leader “lost his parliament membership as the Supreme Court upheld the EC decision”.

Mohiuddin Khan’s lawyer, Barrister Rokon Uddin Mahmud, however, wouldn’t agree. He told the reporters that despite the SC order, Khan would remain Member of Parliamentary.

“If one’s academic certificate is proved to be forged, one’s certificate is cancelled, not his service,” the senior Supreme Court lawyer said to justify his contention that, even after the highest court’s verdict, Khan could retain his parliament membership.             

In its judgment, the apex court upheld the High Court verdict that had declared legal the Election Commission’s decision having cancelled his nomination papers for the 2008 national elections, held after a turmoil in the country’s political arena.

A six-member full bench of the Appellate Division of the SC, led by Chief Justice Fazlul Karim, passed the order rejecting the leave-to-appeal petition filed by MK Alamgir against the High Court verdict.

He was elected MP from the Chandpur-1 constituency at the 2008 national polls.

MK Alamgir was not in the court to hear the pronouncement of the SC edicts as he is now learnt to be in the American city of Boston on a long vacation. He is expected to return home from the United States on August 10.

Chandpur returning officer had cancelled MK Alamgir’s nomination on grounds that he was convicted and sentenced to 13 years` imprisonment in a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information from the commission during a massive anti-graft purge following the 1/11 changeover. Country’s many power political leaders were herded up into jail amid the military-led hunt under state of emergency.  

Later on December 15, 2008, the High Court upheld the returning officer’s decision rejecting his nomination.

But the chamber judge of the Appellate Division on December 18, 2008 stayed the HC order and asked the Election Commission to allow MK Alamgir to participate in the parliamentary polls.

After the election, MK Alamgir filed a regular leave-to-appeal petition with the SC in 2009 following the chamber court’s directive. And he finally lost the legal battle.

BDST: 1354 HRS, 15 JULY 2010