Bangladesh Bank has identified 76 loan defaulters on the Election Commission’s (EC) list of candidates of different political parties for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The central bank is cross checking records of another 31 candidates.
Some 20 candidates have, meanwhile, filed writ petitions with the High Court (HC) for stay orders on the process of declaring them loan defaulters.
Relevant departments of Bangladesh Bank and other banks have been directed to work for vacating the HC stay orders as early as possible.
Of the 76 loan defaulters, eight are candidates of the Awami League, 12 of BNP, four of Jatiya Party, two of Gono Forum, five of Bikalpadhara Bangladesh and three of Liberal Democratic Party. The rest are contesting the polls as candidates of Progressive Democratic Party and a few Islamist parties and as independent candidates.
The EC had sent the list of 2,139 parliamentary poll candidates to Bangladesh Bank on Monday. The central bank completed scrutiny of 80 percent of the list as of late last night.
Bangladesh Bank Executive Director Khondker Mazharul Haque told reporters yesterday that nine teams of the credit information bureau of Bangladesh Bank are working on the matter from morning to night. They worked until 9:00pm on Monday.
The list of the identified loan defaulters obtained from EC sources has Awami League candidates Maj Gen (retd) Abdus Salam (Mymensingh-9), Motahar Hossain (Lalmonirhat-1), Nuruzzaman Ahmed (Lalmonirhat-2), Md Mizanur Rahman (Khulna-2), Shamsul Haque Chowdhury (Chittagong-11), Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury (Feni-2), Mohammad Ali (Noakhali-6) and Moshtaque Ahmed Chowdhury (Cox’s Bazar-3).
The 12 BNP candidates identified as loan defaulters are Abu Bakar Siddiqur Rahman (Mymensingh-10), Abdus Sobhan (Barisal-1), Shamsuzzoha Khan (Naogaon-2), Rumana Mahmud (Sirajganj-2), Golam Mawla Khan Babul (Sirajganj-5), Biswas Jahangir Alam (Narail-1), Nurun Nahar Parul (Rajshahi-5), Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury (Chittagong-5), Mostafa Kamal Pasha (Chittagong-16), Kazi Md Mofizur Rahman (Noakhali-2), Md Giasuddin (Narayanganj-4) and Mostafa Ali (Bogra-4).
Other prominent loan defaulters who are contesting the polls include Shahidul Haque Jamal, a BNP rebel who has submitted nomination papers from several constituencies in Barisal as an independent candidate, Jatiya Party’s Mostofa Jamal Haider (Perojpur-1), Joynal Abedin Sarker (independent candidate from Lalmonirhat-1), and Awami League’s rebel candidate Zafar Ahmed Chowdhury (Chittagong-14).
Those who have already got HC stay order on declaring them loan defaulters include BNP’s Barkatullah Bulu, Shafi Ahmed Chowdhury, Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad and Maj (retd) Manzur Quader, Awami League leaders ABM Abul Quashem, Md Mujibul Huq and HN Ashiqur Rahman.
Sources said alongside Bangladesh Bank different local banks will provide information about loan defaulters on the list.
This time the EC will also disqualify defaulters of utility services bills and taxes from the December 29 parliamentary elections.
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