A total of 131 appeals were filed at the Election Commission (EC) on Friday as candidates sought to restore their candidacy for the upcoming national parliamentary election, with long queues continuing even after the official deadline.
Friday was the final day for candidates to submit appeals against returning officers’ decisions. The appeal submission process began at 10am and was scheduled to continue until 5pm, but many appellants remained in line past the deadline. The EC confirmed that all appeals from those present by 5pm would be accepted.
The appeals were submitted at booths set up at the EC building in Agargaon, Dhaka. EC Public Relations Director Ruhul Amin Mallik said: “All appeals from those who were present at the Election Commission building by 5pm today will be accepted. No matter how long it takes, we will complete the process.”
According to EC officials, a total of 469 appeal applications were submitted over the past four days against returning officers’ decisions, with the highest number—174—filed on Thursday.
The 13th National Parliamentary Election is scheduled for February 12, alongside a national referendum. Ahead of the election, prospective candidates submitted nomination papers, of which 1,842 were declared valid while 723 were rejected.
As per the election schedule, appeals could be filed from Monday to Friday. The EC will dispose of appeals between Saturday and January 18. The deadline for withdrawal of candidacy is January 20. Returning officers will publish the final list of candidates and allocate election symbols on January 21. Election campaigning will run from January 22 until 7:30am on February 10.