A total of five candidates, including the Jamaat-e-Islami nominee, have withdrawn their nominations across six constituencies in Barishal ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election.
Moazzem Hossain Helal, Jamaat-e-Islami’s candidate for Barishal-5 (Barishal Sadar), formally withdrew his nomination around 2:30pm on Tuesday at the office of the Returning Officer, following party directives.
He later announced his support for Islami Andolan Bangladesh candidate Mufti Syed Mohammad Faizul Karim in the constituency.
Speaking to reporters, Moazzem said the decision was taken in line with party policy. He urged Jamaat-e-Islami supporters to work for Islami Andolan Bangladesh and called on voters who had intended to support Jamaat candidates to back Mufti Faizul Karim instead.
By 3pm on Tuesday, five candidates had withdrawn their nominations from Barishal’s six parliamentary constituencies, out of a total of 43 contenders.
The other candidates who withdrew include Mohammad Tarikul Islam of the Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BASAD) and Munshi Mostafizur Rahman of Khelafat Majlis from Barishal-2 (Uzirpur–Banaripara), Fakhrul Ahsan of the Jatiya Party from Barishal-3 (Babuganj–Muladi), and Mohammad Tarikul Islam of the AB Party from Barishal-5.
The Returning Officer is expected to announce the final list of candidates later in the evening following the close of the withdrawal period.
