Some heavyweight and well-known candidates are among those who have lost their security deposit in Sunday’s general election after failing to secure 12.5% of the total votes cast in their constituencies.
To contest the election, a candidate needs to provide a security bond of Tk20,000 for each constituency where they stand, which is known as a security deposit.
Trinamool BNP President Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury and Secretary General Taimur Alam Khandaker lost their security deposits after failing to get an adequate number of votes.
Shamsher lost to AL candidate and former Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid in the Sylhet-6 seat, where he got 10,858 votes.
Secretary General Taimur Alam Khandaker lost to AL candidate Golam Dastagir Gazi (Bir Protik) in the Narayanganj-1 constituency and received only 3,190 votes with the Golden Fibre symbol.
Former BNP leader and independent candidate from Kishoreganj-2, Maj (Retd) Akhtaruzzaman, also lost his security deposit after getting only 16,199 votes.
Actress Mahiya Mahi and YouTuber Hero Alom also lost their security deposits.
In Rajshahi, a total of 31 candidates failed to secure their deposits, including Mahi.
Film actress Sharmin Akter Nipa, widely known as Mahiya Mahi, has lost her security deposit. In the race from Rajshahi-1 (Godagari-Tanore) constituency, Mahi received a total of 9,009 votes.
Out of eleven candidates in this constituency, nine, including AL sub-committee on industry and commerce member and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam’s wife Shanewaz Ayesha Akhtar Jahan, alias Dalia, have also lost their security money.
According to the unofficial results declared by Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer in Rajshahi Shameem Ahmed, Ayesha Akhtar Jahan alias Dalia received 2,718 votes, Bangladesh Nationalist Movement’s Md Shamsuzzoha 1911 votes, Jatiya Pary’s (JaPa) Md Shamsuddin 938 votes, and Bangladesh Nationalist Front’s Al Saad 603 votes.
Besides, Trinamool BNP’s Jamal Khan Dudu received 273 votes, Bangladesh Sangskritik Muktijote’s Bashir Ahmed got 335 votes, and NPP’s Nurunnesa got 296 votes in the election.
In Rajshahi-3, BNM Vice Chairman Motiur Rahman Moti, JaPa’s Abdus Salam Khan, Bangladesh Shangskritik Jote’s Enamul Hoque, BNF’s Bajlur Rahman, and NPP’s Saibur Rahman lost their security deposits.
In Rajshahi-4, NPP’s Jinnatul Islam Jinna, JaPa’s Abu Talb Pramanik, BNM’s Saiful Islam Raihan, and independent candidate Babul Hossain lost their security deposits.
In Rajshahi-5, the Supreme Party’s Altaf Hossain Molla, BNM’s Shariful Islam, and Gano Front’s Mokhlesur Rahman failed to secure their deposits.
In Rajshahi-6, JaSod’s Zulfiqar Mannan Jami, BNM’s Abdus Samad, NPP’s Mahasin Ali, and JaPa’s Shamsuddin Rintu lost their security deposits.
In Barisal, two-thirds of the candidates from 21 constituencies have lost their security deposits.
However, none of the Awami League (AL) candidates are among those losing security deposits.
Regional Election Commissioner Md Alauddin said that the voting percentage in the division was 43.76%.
Out of 120 candidates in 21 constituencies, only 33 were able to retain their security deposits, while 87 lost their deposits.
Of the 87 candidates who lost their security deposits, 16 were from the Bangladesh Nationalist Movement and two from the Workers Party of Bangladesh. The other candidates are from different parties and are independent.
In Satkhira, 23 candidates out of 30 ended up losing their security deposits.
In Satkhira-1 (Tala-Kalaroa), the candidates who had their security deposits seized are the Workers Party of Bangladesh's Mustafa Lutfullah, the Bangladesh Congress's Yarul Islam, Sheikh Md Alamgir of Bangladesh Sangskritik Muktijot, Trinamool BNP's Sumi Islam, and independent candidates SM Mujibur Rahman, Md Nurul Islam, Sheikh Nurul Islam, and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
In Satkhira-2 (Sadar), the candidates who had their security deposits seized are the National People's Party's Md Anwar Hossain, the Bangladesh Nationalist Movement's Md Kamruzzaman Bulu, Trinamool BNP's Mustafa Farhan Mehdi, independent candidates Ensan Bahar Bulbul, and Md Afsar Ali.
In Satkhira-3 (Assasuni-Debhata), JaPa's Md Alif Hossain, NPP's Md Abdul Hamid, Zaker Party's Md Manjur Hossain, Trinamool BNP's Rubel Hossain, and Communist Party of Bangladesh's Sheikh Tarikul Islam lost their security deposits.
In Satkhira-4 (Shyamnagar-Kaliganj), Trinamool BNP's Aslam Al Mehedi, JaPa's Md Mahbubur Rahman, Bangladesh Congress's Md Shafiqul Islam, NPP's Sheikh Ikramul Islam, and independent candidate Md Mizanur Rahman lost their security deposits.
Meanwhile, all four JaPa candidates in Brahmanbaria lost their security deposits after failing to secure one-eighth of the total votes in their constituencies.
Shahanul Karim in Brahmanbaria-1, Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan in Brahmanbaria-2, Mobarak Hossain in Brahmanbaria-5, and Amzad Hossain in Brahmanbaria-6 couldn't attain the required vote share, resulting in the loss of their security bonds.
However, the party had not fielded any candidates in Brahmanbaria-3 (Sadar and Bijaynagar) and Brahmanbaria-4 (Kasba and Akhaura).
The district magistrate and returning officer of Brahmanbaria, Habibur Rahman, explained that to contest in the election, a candidate needs to provide a security bond of Tk20,000 for each constituency where they stand.
Twenty-one candidates across six constituencies in Jessore have failed to secure their security deposits.
In Chuadanga, nine out of 15 candidates have lost their security deposit. They are independent candidate MA Shahidur Rahman, Md Sohrab Hossain of JaPa, Md Idris Chowdhury of the National People's Party, Md Abdul Latif Khan of the Zaker Party, and Dewan Md Yasin Ullah of JaSod, Md Robiul Islam of the Jatiya Party (JP), and independent candidates Md Noor Hakim and Nazrul Mallik.
In Comilla, 77 candidates in 11 seats lost their security deposits. Of them, AL candidate for Comilla-5 Advocate Abul Hashem Khan and independent candidate and former BNP leader Shaukat Mahmood also lost their deposits.
There were 93 contestants in the 11 constituencies in Comilla.
In Bogra, 45 candidates lost their security deposits, including YouTube content creator Hero Alom.
From Bogra-1, JaPa candidate Golam Mostafa Babu, Trinamool BNP’s NM Abu Zihad, and Bangladesh Tarikat Federation’s Anowar Hossain are among those losing their security deposits.
JaPa candidate Nurul Islam Talukder and independent candidate and former member of parliament Rezaul Bablu lost their security deposits.
Contesting from Bogra-3, Nurul Islam Talukder bagged 10,523 votes. Apart from him, nine other candidates lost their security deposits from the seat.
In Bogra-7, Rezaul Bablu got 2,007 votes to lose his security deposit.
Apart from Bablu, 11 others lost their security deposits in the constituency.
In Khulna, 30 out of 39 candidates have lost their security deposits. Of them, three are from Khulna-1, six from Khulna-2, three from Khulna-3, ten from Khulna-4, another three from Khulna-5, and five from Khulna-6.
In Gazipur, 38 candidates contested for five seats. Of them, 28 have lost their security deposits.
The candidates losing deposits are from JaPa, Trinamool BNP, Islami Oikya Jote, BNM, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, Bangladesh Congress, Bangladesh Supreme Party, NPP and the rest are independent.
Our correspondents Anisur Rahman Swapan from Barisal, Nazmul Huda Nasim from Bogra, Md Mahasin Kabir from Comilla, Dulal Abdullah from Rajshahi, and Hedait Hossain from Khulna contributed to the report
