Manna’s nomination revoked in Bogura-2

Staff Reporter :

The nomination of Mahmudur Rahman Manna, convener of Nagorik Oikya, has been cancelled in the Bogura-2 (Shibganj) constituency after election officials found discrepancies in the signature on his affidavit.

The decision was announced on Thursday afternoon by Bogura Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Md Toufiqur Rahman following the scrutiny of nomination papers ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election.
According to the returning officer, inconsistencies were detected between the signature on Manna’s affidavit and other submitted documents, prompting the rejection of his nomination. Manna was not present at the returning officer’s office when the decision was declared.

In contrast, the nomination of BNP’s alternative candidate for the constituency, Mir Shahe Alam, was declared valid after scrutiny.

Election officials also cancelled the nomination of Jatiyo Party candidate Shariful Islam Jinnah in the same constituency earlier, citing his failure to submit the mandatory asset disclosure statement along with his affidavit.
Several candidates had submitted nomination papers for the Bogura-2 seat, including Nagorik Oikya’s Mahmudur Rahman Manna, BNP’s Mir Shahe Alam, Jatiyo Party’s Shariful Islam Jinnah, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Shahaduzzaman, Islami Andolon’s Jamal Uddin, Gono Odhikar Parishad’s Selim Sarker, and independent aspirant Rezaul Karim Talu.

The cancellation of Manna’s nomination comes as a setback for the opposition alliance in a constituency with a long and shifting political history. Bogura-2 has alternated between different political forces over the decades. The Awami League won the seat in the country’s first parliamentary election in 1973, while BNP candidate Abul Hasnat Chowdhury captured it in 1979. In subsequent elections, the constituency has been represented by candidates from various parties as well as independents.

In the 2018 election, BNP had ceded the Bogura-2 seat to Nagorik Oikya as part of an alliance arrangement, allowing Manna to contest using the BNP’s “sheaf of paddy” symbol. He, however, lost the race to Jatiyo Party candidate Shariful Islam Jinnah.

For the upcoming election, BNP again left the seat to its ally Nagorik Oikya, nominating Manna as the alliance candidate. His candidature initially faced obstacles over allegations related to loan default and other procedural issues, which were later resolved, allowing him to submit nomination papers.

Thursday’s decision over the affidavit signature, however, has once again stalled Manna’s participation in the race, adding fresh uncertainty to the opposition’s electoral strategy in Bogura-2.