Heavyweights lose deposits amid fierce contests

Staff Reporter :

Several prominent and heavyweight candidates failed to retain their deposits in the 13th Parliamentary Election, as intense contests across constituencies produced unexpected setbacks.

Under electoral law, a candidate must secure at least one-eighth of the total valid votes cast in a constituency – equivalent to 12.5 per cent – to retain their deposit. Private analyses of the results show that a number of well-known political figures fell short of that threshold.

Among them are Mahmudur Rahman Manna, a long-time figure in national politics, and former three-time MP Shariful Islam Jinnah.

In Bogura-2 (Shibganj), Manna, president of Nagorik Oikya, contested as a heavyweight candidate but managed only 3,426 votes on the ‘Kettle’ symbol – just 1.4 per cent of the total valid ballots cast. To save his deposit, he needed at least 30,476 votes.

In the same constituency, Jatiya Party presidium member and former MP Jinnah secured only 434 votes. Both candidates consequently lost their deposits.

The constituency has 342,155 registered voters. Of them, 243,802 valid votes were cast, marking a turnout of 72.63 per cent.

In Dhaka-12, Md Tareq Rahman, member secretary of the Amjanata Party, received 1,044 votes with the ‘Butterfly’ symbol. The number of rejected ballots in the constituency stood at 2,444 – meaning he polled fewer votes than those declared invalid, resulting in the loss of his deposit.

Jamaat-nominated candidate Saiful Alam won the seat with 53,773 votes. His nearest rival from the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh secured 30,963 votes with the ‘Spade’ symbol.

A total of 122,268 valid votes were cast in the constituency, representing 37.42 per cent turnout.
In Dhaka-8, Meghna Alam, contesting under the banner of Gono Odhikar Parishad with the ‘Truck’ symbol, received only 608 votes and lost her deposit.

BNP candidate Mirza Abbas won the seat with 59,366 votes. His closest contender, National Citizen Party (NCP) candidate Md Nasiruddin Patwari, secured 54,127 votes.

In Chattogram-8 (Boalkhali-Chandgaon), National Citizen Party candidate Zobairul Hasan Arif obtained just 2,906 votes – 0.52 per cent of the total votes cast – and also forfeited his deposit.

BNP candidate Ershad Ullah emerged victorious with 150,737 votes, while Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Md Abu Naser secured 52,033 votes.

The constituency has 554,729 registered voters, with 256,134 ballots cast.

District senior election officials reiterated that candidates must obtain at least 12.5 per cent of valid votes to qualify for a refund of their electoral deposit. Those failing to meet the requirement will have their deposits forfeited to the state treasury.