1,967 candidates to contest polls in 298 seats
EC data show that nomination submission ended on 29 December, with 2,585 nomination papers filed across 300 seats.
A total of 1,967 candidates, including those from around 50 political parties as well as more than a hundred independents, will contest the 13th parliamentary election in 298 constituencies on 12 February, according to draft Election Commission (EC) data.
The figure was finalised after the withdrawal deadline yesterday (20 January), when 305 candidates withdrew their nominations, said Md Ruhul Amin Mallik, director of the EC Secretariat's public relations wing.
Candidates will be allocated election symbols today (21 January), after which they will be able to begin campaigning.
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EC data show that nomination submission ended on 29 December, with 2,585 nomination papers filed across 300 seats.
Following scrutiny between 30 December and 4 January, 726 nominations were cancelled, leaving 1,858 valid candidates at that stage.
Appeals against returning officers' decisions were accepted from 5 to 9 January, with 639 candidates filing appeals.
After hearings held from 10 to 18 January, 431 candidates regained their candidacy, bringing the total number of valid candidates to 2,289 by yesterday.
However, 11 previously valid candidates in Pabna-1 and Pabna-2 constituencies will be excluded, as fresh schedules were announced for those seats following directives from the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. Under the revised schedule, nominations were submitted on Sunday, with seven candidates in Pabna-1 and five in Pabna-2.
After final withdrawals, the number of contenders now stands at 1,967, which is lower than in the 12th parliamentary election in 2024, when 1,896 candidates contested following 347 withdrawals.
Voting for the 13th parliamentary election will take place on 12 February from 7:30am to 4:30pm.
Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud told The Business Standard (TBS) that the election process has entered its final stage with symbol allocation and the finalisation of polling centres.
He said no serious violations of the electoral code of conduct had been observed so far and described the overall election environment as satisfactory.
He added that while political parties have exchanged allegations, the EC has treated all parties equally and maintained neutrality, noting that dissatisfaction with certain decisions does not amount to a fundamental complaint against the commission's impartiality.
