A circular has been issued by the Election Commission Secretariat, announcing the schedule of the 12th national parliamentary polls on Wednesday.
The circular specifically addresses the issue of qualification and disqualification, providing instructions to returning officers and assistant returning officers to widely publicize these matters.
The circular explicitly references the provisions of the constitution concerning the eligibility and disqualification of parliamentary candidates. Furthermore, detailed explanations have been provided to clarify various points.
The circular emphasizes that individuals aspiring to become candidates in the polls, including mayors, chairmen of local government institutions, chairmen of upazila parishads, zila parishads, union parishads, and mayors of city corporations, municipalities, as well as appointed individuals in various government/autonomous, semi-autonomous, and government-granted offices/institutions or corporations, statutory bodies, authorities, and contractual appointees of Bangladesh missions abroad, must systematically resign from their positions.
Provisions as per constitutions
In accordance with the constitution, a candidate must be a citizen of Bangladesh and at least 25 years old.
Disqualifications include being declared of unsound mind by a court, being an undischarged insolvent, acquiring citizenship of a foreign state, and conviction for a criminal offense under the Bangladesh Collaborators (Special Tribunals) Order, 1972, with a sentence of at least two years, among other factors.
Candidates must also be registered voters in any constituency of Bangladesh.
Dual citizenship holders are ineligible. However, renouncing foreign citizenship will not disqualify a candidate.
The circular specifies that a person holding certain high-ranking positions, such as president, prime minister, speaker, deputy speaker, minister, minister of state, or deputy minister, shall not be deemed to hold an office of profit in the service of the republic solely by virtue of their position.
If a person is not registered as a voter in any constituency in the country; not be elected as a member of parliament unless nominated by a registered political party or an independent candidate.
Resignation or retirement from the service of the republic or a statutory body, resignation or retirement or removal from the executive post of a private organization run by a foreign state or organization on contractual appointment after retirement, three years and five years in the case of dismissal or compulsory retirement due to corruption, will not be able to take part in election.
How to submit a nomination paper?
To submit a nomination paper, a proposer and supporter must sign the prescribed form, declaring the candidate's consent to seek nomination and confirming their eligibility. The candidate must also declare that they have not filed nomination papers for more than three constituencies.
Documentation to be attached includes a signed list of support from 1% of the electorate (for independent candidates), proof of nomination from a registered political party, an affidavit signed by the candidate with an attested copy of the highest educational qualification certificate, and information on any criminal cases, past or present.
The circular also addresses the sources of income, assets, promises made to voters, and details about loans, with proof of tax return submission. Multiple nomination papers for the same constituency are allowed, but only one will be considered valid.
Nomination papers can be submitted to both the returning officer and assistant returning officer.
For the first time in Bangladesh, the candidates will get the opportunity to submit their nomination form online, as the Election Commission believes it will lower the chances of clashes between supporters of rival groups.
As per schedule, nominations are to be filed by November 30, which will be scrutinized from December 1 to 4. The last date for the withdrawal of nominations is December 17.
Symbols will be allotted to the political parties, and the election campaign will begin on December 18.
The total number of voters is about 119,700,000, and the number of polling stations is around 42,000. A total of 262,000 booths will be used for voting.
The 12th parliamentary election is set to be held on January 7, 2024.
