40 candidates appeal EC over rejection of nomination papers

Staff Reporter :

40 candidates filed appeals with the Election Commission (EC) to challenge the rejection decisions issued by the returning officers.

This information was shared on Friday from the central appeal booth established at the Election Commission building in the city’s Agargaon area on Friday.

A total of 469 appeals have been filed over the past four days against returning officers’ decisions ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election. Of these, 174 appeals were submitted on Thursday alone, including 164 against rejected nominations and 10 against accepted nominations.

The 13th national parliamentary election is scheduled to be held on February 12, coinciding with a national referendum. In anticipation, prospective candidates submitted their nomination papers for scrutiny. After verification, the EC announced that out of all submissions, 1,842 nomination papers across the country’s 300 parliamentary constituencies were deemed valid, while 723 papers were rejected.

On-site, it was observed that the appeal process is being conducted at 10 regional booths within the central facility, where candidates from across the country are submitting the necessary documents.

Officials at the central booth confirmed that, as of midday on the last day, 40 nomination candidates had filed appeals.

Among the appellants, SM Mamunur Rashid, an independent candidate for Nilphamari-4, stated that his nomination was rejected due to alleged discrepancies in voter support. He emphasized that public verification of voter support before the election is unreasonable and expressed confidence that the Election Commission would resolve the matter through the appeal process, allowing him to participate in the elecion.

Similarly, Rita Rahman, a BNP-backed independent candidate for Rangpur-3 (Sadar and City Corporation), filed an appeal seeking justice through the EC.

According to the revised election schedule, appeals against returning officers’ decisions could be filed from January 5-9, with resolutions scheduled between January 10-18.

The deadline for withdrawal of candidacy is January 20, and the returning officers will publish the final candidate list and allocate symbols on January 21. Election campaigning will begin on January 22 and continue until February 10 at 7:30am. Voting will take place on February 12 from 7:30am to 4:30pm.