Dhaka, Dec. 30 -- The Supreme Court's Appellate Division has cleared the way for Nagorik Oikko President Mahmudur Rahman Manna to contest elections by staying his loan defaulter status and removing his name from the Credit Information Bureau (CIB) list.

The order came from Chamber Judge Justice Md Rezaul Haque on Monday who stayed for eight weeks both the High Court ruling and Manna's inclusion in the CIB defaulters' list. As a result, there is currently no legal bar to his participation in the election.

Earlier, Manna had filed a petition with the High Court seeking removal of his name from the CIB list.

However, the High Court rejected the petition on 24 December, creating a legal obstacle to his eligibility to vote and contest elect...