The Election Commission (EC) has fined the Awami League candidate for the Comilla-6 constituency, AKM Bahauddin Bahar, Tk 1 lakh, and the party’s Barguna-1 aspirant, Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu, Tk50,000 for violating the electoral code of conduct.
Both are incumbent lawmakers from their respective constituencies.
The decisions were taken in separate hearings at the EC office in the capital’s Agargaon area on Wednesday.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal led the hearing in the presence of election commissioners Mohammad Alamgir and Anisur Rahman, said EC Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath.
Bahar and Shambhu will have to pay the fines within three days, Ashok said, adding: “The two lawmakers were summoned to the EC to give their explanations against the show-cause letters served to them for defying the polls code.”
Both MPs appeared at the EC around 3pm to defend themselves.
After the hearings, Bahar told reporters there that one of the allegations brought against him was “targeted”.
However, he apologized for the other allegation, saying: “I hope my candidacy will not be scrapped.”
Meanwhile, Shambhu hurriedly left the EC office premises without talking to the media.
On December 25, the Election Inquiry Committee recommended taking legal action against Bahar after he had been served three show-cause notices.
The first two notices were served on him on December 16 as he held a public gathering and threatened to break the arms and legs of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami members if they were found supporting any candidates in his constituency.
He was sent the third notice on December 23 for attacking journalists covering his campaign.
Shambhu was previously found starting his election campaign through public rallies several days before December 18, the day the nationwide electioneering began.