Nomination papers of three candidates contesting the Chattogram-1 (Mirsharai) constituency were rejected on Friday during scrutiny after serious irregularities were detected, including the use of a deceased person’s signature.
The scrutiny of nomination papers for the 13th Parliamentary Election and referendum was conducted at 10am in the conference room of the Chattogram Deputy Commissioner’s office.
According to the Returning Officer’s office, the nomination of independent candidate Mohammad Ashraf Siddiqui was cancelled after verification revealed that one of the signatures submitted as part of the mandatory support of 1 percent of registered voters belonged to a deceased person.
Two other candidates also lost their nominations. Shahidul Islam Chowdhury, a rebel candidate from the BNP, was disqualified for failing to obtain official party nomination, while Md Ershad Ullah of Jatiya Party (Zaker) was barred for violating electoral rules by acting as his own proposer.
Election officials said that during the verification process, seven individuals listed as supporting voters denied having signed the nomination papers, an issue that was treated with serious concern.
Following scrutiny, the nominations of seven candidates were declared valid. They are Syed Shahadat Hossain (Jatiya Party), Sheikh Zulfikar Bulbul Chowdhury (Bangladesh Muslim League), Nurul Amin (BNP), AKM Abu Yusuf (Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal), Mohammad Saifur Rahman (Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami), Rezaul Karim (Insaniyat Biplob), and Ferdaus Ahmed Chowdhury (Islami Andolan Bangladesh).
Chattogram Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mia said candidates whose nominations were rejected would be able to file appeals within four days, starting after January 4.
A total of 13 candidates collected nomination papers for the Chattogram-1 constituency, of whom 10 eventually submitted their nominations.
