A show-cause notice has been issued to Sarjis Alam, the candidate of the 10-party alliance in the Panchagarh-1 constituency, over allegations of violating the electoral code of conduct.
The notice was issued on Saturday afternoon by the office of the Panchagarh Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer, Kazi Md Sayemuzzaman. The matter was later confirmed to Dhaka Tribune by the Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer himself.
According to the notice, on January 23, Sarjis Alam used banners, billboards and arches displaying photographs of a political party chief other than his own—specifically Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman—at an election rally organized by the 10-party alliance in Panchagarh. This constitutes a clear violation of Section 7(c) of the Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Candidates in Parliamentary Elections 2025.
The notice further states that Sarjis Alam constructed three arches in defiance of restrictions, which violates Section 13(a) of the code of conduct. In addition, he is accused of conducting election campaigning through his Facebook account without submitting the required information to the Returning Officer, which is contrary to Section 16(a) of the code.
In view of these alleged violations, Sarjis Alam has been instructed to submit a written explanation within 24 hours to the Returning Officer’s office, either in person or through a representative, explaining why legal action should not be taken against him. The notice also warns that failure to respond within the stipulated time will result in necessary legal action being taken in accordance with the law.
