A total of 150 candidates have been disqualified from the 13th national parliamentary election following scrutiny, appeals, and hearings conducted by the Election Commission (EC).
The election, along with a referendum, is scheduled for February 12.
According to EC officials, the cancellations were due to a range of issues, including discrepancies in nomination papers, loan defaults, pending criminal cases, dual citizenship, failure to submit required documents, and inability to secure the mandatory 1% voter support.
Of the disqualified candidates, 98 were independents, while the remainder represented various political parties. These included four Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) nominees, four BNP rebel candidates, one Jamaat-e-Islami nominee, 21 Jatiya Party candidates, and 22 from other parties.
BNP, Jamaat, and Jatiya Party candidates
BNP candidates whose nominations were cancelled include Munjurul Ahsan Munshi (Comilla-4), TS Ayub (Jessore-4), Sarwar Alamgir (Chittagong-2), and Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan (Comilla-10).
BNP rebel candidates affected were Md Shafiqul Islam (Sirajganj-6), Md Saiful Islam (Mymensingh-6), Md Mobasher Alam Bhuiyan (Comilla-10), and Md Mofiqul Hasan Tripti (Jessore-1).
The lone Jamaat-e-Islami nominee to lose candidacy was Dr AKM Fazlul Haque from Chittagong-9.
Notable Jatiya Party candidates disqualified after appeal hearings include Mohammad Israfil Mia (Gazipur-2), Nurul Islam Milon (Comilla-8), Md Mujibul Haque (Kishoreganj-3), and SM Abdul Mannan (Manikganj-2).
Election Commission response
After the hearings, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin dismissed allegations of bias. “Many may criticize us, but we did not show any bias while hearing appeals against returning officers’ decisions,” he said.
He added that the EC had shown flexibility regarding the 1% voter support requirement for independent candidates. “We want everyone to participate in a good and inclusive election. Neither I nor my team made biased judgments,” he said.
Nomination paper statistics
EC sources said 3,406 nomination papers were collected, of which 2,568 were submitted. Following initial scrutiny, 723 were rejected, and 1,842 were found valid. Dhaka saw the highest number of rejections (133), while Barisal recorded the lowest (31).
Between December 30 and January 4, a total of 645 appeals were filed. After nine consecutive days of hearings beginning January 10, the EC restored 414 candidacies, bringing the total number of valid candidates to 2,257.
Legal challenges kikely
Despite the EC’s stance, some parties have announced plans to challenge the decisions in court. Jatiya Party Secretary General Shamim Haider Patwary said, “We will file writ petitions for those candidates whose appeals have been rejected.”
Independent candidates hit hardest
EC officials said most independent candidates were disqualified due to irregularities in collecting and verifying the required 1% voter signatures. Others were disqualified for loan defaults, dual citizenship, or failure to disclose information in affidavits. The commission, they noted, applied the law strictly but more flexibly than in previous elections.
Pabna constituencies rescheduled
Election activities in Pabna-1 and Pabna-2 were postponed due to boundary complications. On January 15, the EC announced a revised schedule: nomination papers can be submitted until January 18, scrutiny will take place on January 19, appeals will be heard between January 20 and 25, and the final list of candidates will be published on January 27. Voting in these constituencies will still take place on February 12.