The deadline for candidates to withdraw from the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election ends on Tuesday, as per the Election Commission (EC) schedule.
EC officials confirmed the information in Dhaka on Tuesday. Following this day, the list of contesting candidates will become final. Parties will have no further scope to resolve coalition-related complications.
According to the EC circular, provisions under Article 16 of the Representation of the People Order 1972 govern nomination and withdrawal. A validly nominated candidate may withdraw by submitting a signed notice to the Returning Officer within the deadline, either personally or through an authorised representative.
If a registered political party nominates more than one candidate in a constituency, the party president, general secretary or an equivalent official must notify the Returning Officer in writing within the withdrawal period to confirm the final nominee. Other nominees will then cease to be considered as candidates. Once a withdrawal notice or final nomination is submitted, it cannot be cancelled.
If satisfied with the withdrawal notice or the party’s final nomination letter, the Returning Officer will display a copy in a visible location at the office. The day after the withdrawal deadline, the Returning Officer will publish the list of contesting candidates in the prescribed format.
The EC circular further stated that after the withdrawal deadline, contesting candidates must receive their symbols on 21 January.
The EC will prepare the candidate list in Bangla alphabetical order in Form-5 as required under election law.
Appeal hearings against nomination rejection or acceptance concluded on Sunday. EC records show that 645 appeals were filed against decisions of Returning Officers. Of them, the Commission granted 425 appeals, rejected 209 and received 11 withdrawal requests.
The CEC announced the election schedule on 11 December in an address to the nation. The deadline for submitting nomination papers to Returning or Assistant Returning Officers was 29 December.
EC data show that Returning Officers examined 2,568 nomination papers across 300 constituencies. A total of 1,842 nominations were declared valid and 723 were rejected.
The EC will allocate election symbols on Wednesday 21 January. Campaigning by contesting candidates will begin from 22 January. Voters will cast ballots on Thursday 12 February from 7:30am to 4:30pm without any break.
The election and referendum will take place using ballot papers and transparent ballot boxes.
