Election Commission on Monday restored the candidacy of 41 more contestants, taking the total to 150 over the course of its first three days of appeal hearings against nomination cancellations on various grounds.
According to Md Ruhul Amin Mallik, director at the EC’s public relations wing, 24 more appeals were rejected, with decisions on four appeals pending, on the third day.
Earlier, on the first day of hearings on Saturday, 51 candidates regained their candidacy, one nomination previously declared valid by a returning officer was cancelled, and 15 appeals were rejected. The following day, on Sunday, 58 candidates were declared valid and seven appeals were rejected.
During Monday’s hearing, Election Commissioner Abul Fazl Md Sanaullah said there would be no leniency for loan defaulters. On the issue of dual citizenship, he said only official documents would be accepted, adding that emails or unofficial papers would not be considered.
Referring to independent and young candidates, he said the commission was trying to be as flexible as possible regarding the one per cent voter support requirement and welcomed young candidates to the electoral race.
Meanwhile, hearings could not be held on Monday for Pabna-2 Gonoforum candidate Sheikh Nasir Uddin due to the suspension of election activities in that constituency.
Independent candidate Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Iqbal had applied to EC seeking the cancellation of the candidacy of Kishoreganj-5 BNP candidate Syed Ehsanul Huda, but the commission rejected the application, leaving Huda’s nomination valid. Separately, Chattogram-5 independent candidate Shakila Farzana withdrew her application.
In Chattogram-9, the returning officer cancelled the nomination of Jamaat-backed candidate AKM Fazlul Haque due to the candidate holding dual citizenship. EC rejected the appeal at Monday’s appeal hearing after Fazlul Haque failed to produce documents proving the renunciation of his US citizenship.
After the hearing, Fazlul Haque alleged discrimination, claiming that several BNP candidates had been declared valid despite not submitting documents related to dual citizenship. He said both the returning officer and Election Commission had rejected his candidacy and that he would decide the next course of action, including going to court, after consulting his lawyer.
Candidates approved so far
Bogura-2 Gono Odhikar Parishad Selim Sarkar; Mymensingh-4 Supreme Party Liaqat Ali; Gazipur-3 independent Ejadur Rahman Chowdhury; Khagrachhari Gono Odhikar Parishad Dinmoy Roaza; independent Sona Ratan Chakma; Dhaka-12 Janatar Dal Farid Ahmed; Gazipur-2 Ganofront Atikul Islam; Gazipur-1 Ganofront Atikul Islam; Dhaka-14 independent Syed Abu Bakar Siddique; Moulvibazar-2 independent M Jimiur Rahman Chowdhury; and Chattogram-16 Gono Odhikar Parishad Ariful Haque.
Khulna-1 Gono Odhikar Parishad GM Roknuzzaman; Chandpur-1 Gano Forum Azad Hossain; Narayanganj-3 independent Ataur Rahman Ata; Kishoreganj-5 independent AHM Qaiyum; Tangail-6 Jatiya Party Mamunur Rahim; Narayanganj-5 independent Maksud Hossain; Natore-1 Ganosamhati Andolon Sentu Ali; Cumilla-9 Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Mahbubur Rahman; Rangpur-5 AB Party Abdul Baset; and Lakshmipur-2 AB Party Kefayet Hossain.
Chattogram-7 AB Party Abdur Rahman; Meherpur-1 NCP Sohel Rana; Dhaka-16 Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Ahsanullah; Jamalpur-1 Jatiya Party AKM Fazlul Haque; Gaibandha-3 independent SM Khademul Islam; Mymensingh-7 Khelafat Majlis Nazrul Islam; Feni-3 Insaniyat Biplab Hasan Ahmed; Rangpur-3 BASD Anwar Hossain Bablu; Sunamganj-1 Nezame Islam Party Mujjamil Haque Talukdar; and Rajbari-2 Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Mohammad Qutub Uddin.
Chattogram-9 Nagorik Oikya Nurul Absar Majumdar; Narayanganj-1 independent Mohammad Dulal; Kishoreganj-2 Gono Odhikar Parishad Shafiqul Islam; Barguna-2 independent Rashed Uz Zaman; Manikganj-3 AB Party Rafiqul Islam; Faridpur-1 Bangladesh Minority Janata Party Mrinmoy Kanti Das; Dhaka-16 Muktijot Abdul Qader Jilani; Satkhira-4 Jatiya Party Abdur Rashid; Gopalganj-1 independent Ashraful Alam; and Mymensingh-4 National People’s Party Hamidul Islam.
Appeals pending
Tangail-5 Ganosamhati Andolan Fatema Akter; Sherpur-2 BNP Mohammad Fahim Chowdhury; Dhaka-17 Labour Party Mohammad Rashedul Haque; and Chattogram-5 independent Mohammad Imam Uddin Riyad still have their appeals pending at the EC.
