The High Court on Monday dismissed a writ petition challenging the legality of cancellation of Gazipur City Corporation’s (GCC) former mayor Jahangir Alam’s nomination paper for the mayoral post in the upcoming GCC election. The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Mohammad Mahbub-Ul-Alam rejected the petition saying that he was a loan defaulter till the submission day of the nomination paper which made him ineligible. Former Additional Attorney General MK Rahman appeared for the petitioner while Attorney General A M Amin Uddin for the state. Also Read: Cancellation of nomination: Ex Gazipur mayor Jahangir files petition at HC The writ petition was submitted to the HC bench concerned a week after Gazipur’s Returning Officer (RO) Faridul Islam cancelled his nomination paper in a primary scrutinization, as he is a “loan defaulter”. On May 4, Jahangir appealed to Dhaka divisional commissioner against the cancellation; the appeal was rejected on the same day. After being rejected, Jahangir moved the HC, challenging the cancellation. Also Read: Gazipur City polls: Ex-mayor Jahangir’s nomination cancelled; mother’s nomination valid On April 30, during primary scrutinization, Jahangir’s nomination was cancelled while his mother Zaida Khatun’s nomination was declared valid. Jahangir was the guarantor of an industrial organization. He was declared a loan defaulter along with the organization, the returning officer said. Though the former mayor and his counsel submitted documents demonstrating paying off the loan along with the nomination paper, the returning officer cancelled his nomination during the scrutinization.  

The High Court on Tuesday deferred the proceedings of a defamation case filed against former mayor of Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) Jahangir Alam. A bench of Justice A.S.M Abdul Mobin and Justice SM Masud Hossain Dolon passed the order after hearing a petition to have the case filed in Faridpur earlier thrown out. Lawyer AKM Rahman stood for the former mayor. Alam is currently out on bail in the case filed against him for making derogatory and misleading comments on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the War of Liberation. Read more: HC defers Tarique-Zubaida’s hearing in corruption case Although elected as an Awami League candidate, Alam's time in office was cut short after a leaked video of him in conversation with some senior leaders of the party's  Gazipur district unit emerged in September 2021. His statements in that video got him suspended from the party at first, and eventually the government sacked him as mayor as well.  Then a Faridpur court on August 31 this year issued an arrest warrant for the former mayor after one Ataur Rahman, organising secretary of ‘Manobik Bangladesh Society’, filed a defamation case. Read more: CJ Sinha corruption case: Spl court defers judgment to Oct 21 Besides Faridpur, the former mayor faced several cases on the same allegation in Rajbari, Gazipur, Naogaon, Madaripur, Gopalganj and Panchagarh.    

Gazipur city Mayor Jahangir Alam, who has been expelled from Awami League for his controversial comment on Bangabandhu and other local leaders, said he will submit an application requesting the Prime Minister to review the decision. “A rival group has long been involved in doing harm to me since my involvement in student politics and as a sequel to the rivalry some people have hatched conspiracies against me from conversations at home,” he said while talking to reporters at his residence on Saturday. The mayor also offered an apology and requested Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to rethink her decision. Also read: Awami League expels Gazipur mayor Jahangir “I didn’t do anything wrong. I’ll accept the Prime Minister’s decision. If she (PM) wants, I am ready to walk the gallows. Bangabandhu, Sheikh Hasina and Awami League are in my existence and I want to remain as a general member and supporter of the party until death,” he said. On Friday, the ruling Awami League expelled its Gazipur unit general secretary and city mayor Jahangir Alam for life for controversial comments on Bangabandhu and other local leaders. The decision was made at a meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee at Ganobhaban chaired by party chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday evening. On October 3, Awami League issued a show cause notice to Gazipur City Mayor and the party’s metropolitan general secretary Jahangir Alam for his recent viral video of controversial comments on Bangabandhu, regarding the number of people martyred during the Liberation War and other local leaders. Also read: Accused AL MPs to be expelled if found guilty: Quader He was asked to reply to the letter within 15 days. The letter said Jahangir’s viral comments ruined the image and popularity of the political organization. It is equal to going against the interest of the organization and breaking its disciplines which is a punishable offence according to the party’s constitution, it said. Jahangir was asked to explain why organizational action will not be taken against him via the letter. Also read: Noakahli gang rape: AL leader Ruhul Amin expelled from party The mayor claimed that conspirators and anti-election groups have spread the 'technologically manipulated video' as propaganda against him. AL metropolitan unit President Advocate Azmat Ullah Khan welcomed the expulsion of Jahangir Alam.

The Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC) on Sunday filed a case against  former chairman of Beraid union of Badda Thana Jahangir Alam for amassing huge wealth illegally.   Assistant director of ACC Saidujjaman filed the case with the coordinated office, Dhaka -1 as he amassed an amount of TK 4.28 crore illegally and concealed the information in his wealth statement submitted to the ACC.   The Commission filed the case after completion of investigation in this regard.