Much-discussed Manna, Tarek, Meghna Alam lose deposits
According to electoral law, a candidate must get at least 12.5 percent of the total valid votes cast in their constituency to retain their security deposit. For this election, each candidate was required to submit Tk50, 000 along with their nomination papers. Those who failed to meet the required vote threshold forfeited that amount.
In the immediate past 13th national election, several much-talked-about candidates failed to secure enough votes to retain their deposits, marking a moment in the country's political arena.
According to electoral law, a candidate must get at least 12.5 percent of the total valid votes cast in their constituency to retain their security deposit. For this election, each candidate was required to submit Tk50, 000 along with their nomination papers. Those who failed to meet the required vote threshold forfeited that amount.
In the Bogura-2 (Shibganj) constituency, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, president of Nagorik Oikya, contested with the "Kettle" symbol. Out of 243,802 valid votes cast in a constituency with 342,155 voters, he secured only 3,426 votes—about 1.4 percent of the total valid votes.
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To retain his deposit, he needed at least 30,476 votes, leading to the loss of his deposit.
In Dhaka-12, Md. Tarek Rahman, member secretary of the Amjanatar Party, contested with the "Butterfly" symbol and received just 1,044 votes.
The total number of valid votes in the constituency was 122,268, while 2,444 ballots were declared invalid. Notably, Tarek received fewer votes than the number of rejected ballots.
In the same constituency, Taslima Akhter, nominated by the Ganosamhati Andolon and contesting with the "Mathal" symbol, received 1,511 votes and also failed to retain her deposit.
From Dhaka-8, Meghna Alam of the Gono Odhikar Parishad ran with the "Truck" symbol. She secured only 608 votes, far below the required threshold.
In Netrakona-4 (Madan–Mohanganj–Khaliajuri), Joly Talukdar, a central committee member of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, contested with the "Sickle" symbol and received 3,359 votes, resulting in the loss of her deposit as well.
Meanwhile, in Chattogram-8 (Chandgaon–Boalkhali), three candidates simultaneously lost their deposits: Zobairul Hasan Arif of NCP, Mohammad Nurul Alam of Islami Andolon Bangladesh, and Mohammad Emdadul Haque of Insaniyat Biplob Bangladesh. None managed to secure enough votes to meet the required 12.5 percent benchmark.
A total of 51 political parties participated in this parliamentary election, but only nine succeeded in electing members to parliament. The BNP is set to form the government, while Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami will serve as the main opposition.
For many other parties and candidates, however, the election ended in disappointment, as they failed not only to win seats but also to retain their deposits.
