NCP’s Monira Sharmin fails to regain candidacy on appeal

National Citizen Party (NCP) Joint Convener and Jamaat alliance candidate, Monira Sharmin failed to regain her candidacy for a reserved women's seat in the 13th parliamentary election despite filing an appeal.

The Election Commission upheld the returning officer's decision to cancel her nomination.

The development came after the first day of appeal hearings today (27 April) at the Election Commission building in Agargaon.

The EC upheld the cancellation as she had not completed three years since leaving government service.

Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud told reporters that her appeal had been rejected and the cancellation would stand.

Monira said she would move the High Court against the decision.

"We will go to the High Court. I do not want women's representation in parliament to become uncertain due to ambiguity in the law," she told reporters.

The High Court also directed the Election Commission (EC) to accept the nomination paper of the same party's Nusrat Tabassum, in an order issued on this afternoon by a bench comprising Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anowar.

Advocate Mohammad Hossain Lipu, Advocate Md Moniruzzaman and Advocate Zahirul Islam Musa represented Nusrat Tabassum in court.

Earlier, the Election Commission (EC) cancelled Nusrat's nomination as she submitted her papers after the deadline on April 22.

EC sources said the deadline was 4pm on that day, but Nusrat filed her nomination at 4:19pm, resulting in its rejection for late submission.

After scrutiny, nominations of 36 candidates from the BNP alliance, 12 from the Jamaat alliance and one independent candidate have been declared valid so far.

According to the election schedule, appeals will be disposed of on 27 and 28 April, candidature withdrawal is set for 29 April, symbol allocation on 30 April, and voting will be held on 12 May.

Candidates for reserved women's seats are usually elected unopposed.