Nomination papers of eight candidates contesting the 13th National Parliamentary Election in Gaibandha-01 (Sundarganj) and Gaibandha-02 (Gaibandha Sadar) have been rejected following verification, including Jamaat-e-Islami’s heavyweight candidate Md Majedur Rahman Majed.
The Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner Md Masudur Rahman Molla, announced the results on Friday afternoon at the district administration conference room, citing errors and inconsistencies in the submitted documents.
In Gaibandha-01, five candidates including Md Majedur Rahman Majed (Jamaat-e-Islami), independent candidates Salma Akter, Md Mostafa Mohsin, Ramjan Ali (Islami Andolan Bangladesh), and Mahfuzul Haque Sardar (Jatiya Party) were disqualified.
In Gaibandha-02, the nominations of three candidates were rejected, Md Abdul Majed (Islami Andolan Bangladesh), Mihir Kumar Ghosh (Bangladesh Communist Party), and AKM Golam Azam (Khelafat Majlis).
The returning officer said the cancellations were partly due to two candidates, Majedur Rahman Majed and Abdul Majed, being employed as MPO-registered college teachers, which violates regulations that prevent MPO teachers from holding multiple paid positions concurrently.
He added that the rejected candidates have the right to appeal within the time frame set by the Election Commission, and the final list of candidates will be published after the appeals process.
Meanwhile, the cancellations come in the context of the Manpower Structure and MPO Policy-2025, issued by the Ministry of Education on 7 December.
The policy bars MPO-registered teachers and employees from holding multiple jobs or other profitable posts simultaneously, including positions in journalism or law, with violations potentially leading to cancellation of MPO registration.
On Thursday, the High Court issued a rule asking the government to explain why the Manpower Structure and MPO Policy-2025 provisions should not be declared invalid, giving the Ministry of Education and the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education four weeks to respond.
