Photo : BSS

KHULNA, July 8, 2025 (BSS) - A court here today concluded hearing of a case, filed by BNP mayoral candidate Nazrul Islam Manju, seeking cancellation of the 2018 Khulna City Corporation (KCC) mayoral election result.

The one-sided hearing was conducted before Judge Md. Khorshed Alam of the Khulna Joint District Judge Court No. 1, where Manju submitted written statements on five key issues in support of the cancellation of the polls result.

Golam Mawla, lawyer of Manju, confirmed that some additional documents were sought by the court, although no date for the verdict has been fixed yet.

According to Golam Mawla, the case challenged the validity of the nomination of the then-Awami League candidate Talukder Abdul Khaleque, accusing him of hiding critical information in his nomination form.

He claimed that the then ruling party exerted muscle power and suppressed opposition agents and voters during the election, using law enforcers to detain BNP activists for rigging the voting process. 

Additionally, results of some polling centres allegedly did not have signatures of presiding officers concerned.

Nazrul Islam Manju, also an ex-MP, said he filed the case on July 11, 2018, but the proceedings remained stalled for nearly seven years.
 
He submitted his affidavit highlighting Talukder Abdul Khaleque’s alleged ineligibility due to concealment of wealth details, the illegal arrest of his campaigners, false cases filed against 53 BNP workers, incidents of polling agents expulsion, and stuffing of ballot boxes without official signatures.

He requested the court to declare the election result of KCC void and thus recognize him as the rightful winner.
 
Manju expressed his confidence in receiving a just and bold verdict.