Up to 18 nomination papers submitted in two constituencies ahead of national election

A maximum of 18 nomination papers have been submitted in each of two constituencies Dhaka-18 and Gazipur-2, while the lowest number of nominations, just two has been filed in Pirojpur-2 for the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election.

An analysis of nomination submissions across all 300 constituencies shows that at least 10 or more nomination papers have been submitted in around 104 seats, according to data compiled after the deadline for filing nominations ended on 29 December, as per the Election Commission (EC) schedule.

14 constituencies recorded 15 or more nominations, most of them in the Dhaka region. On the other hand, 42 constituencies saw five or fewer nomination submissions, while 16 constituencies received fewer than four. In four constituencies, three candidates each submitted nomination papers.

In Pirojpur-2, the two candidates who filed nominations are BNP-nominated candidate Principal Alamgir Hossain and Jamaat-e-Islami nominee Masud Saeedi.

For the 13th parliamentary election, nomination papers were submitted on behalf of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6 constituencies. A total of 17 candidates submitted nominations in Dhaka-17, while five did so in Bogura-6.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman submitted his nomination from Dhaka-15, where a total of nine nomination papers were filed.

In Dhaka-11, nomination papers were submitted on behalf of Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP). A total of 11 nominations were submitted in the constituency.

According to a responsible BNP source, the party has kept alternative candidates ready in all three constituencies that had been earmarked for BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. These constituencies are Feni-1 (Fulgazi, Parshuram and Chhagalnaiya), Bogura-7 (Gabtali) and Dinajpur-3 (Sadar).

Among these seats, 10 nominations were submitted in Dinajpur-3, five in Bogura-7 and 10 in Feni-1.

However, before the scrutiny of nomination papers could begin, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia passed away at 6:am today (30 December). Although multiple BNP candidates have submitted nominations in these constituencies, the final list of valid candidates has not yet been determined, pending scrutiny.

Under electoral law, returning officers declare nominations valid if all requirements are met, while defective nominations are rejected. Candidates may appeal rejections to the Election Commission. After disposal of appeals and the deadline for withdrawal of candidature, the final list of candidates is published, followed by symbol allocation.

If a valid candidate dies, the election in the concerned constituency is cancelled and a fresh schedule is announced. However, returning officers said that in this case, as Khaleda Zia's death occurred before nomination scrutiny, the nomination process in the concerned seats will remain on hold, but the election itself will not be suspended.

Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar told The Business Standard last night (29 December) that the nomination submission process concluded in an overall peaceful manner.

"Based on past experience, nomination submission days in Bangladesh often witness incidents and deterioration of law and order. Compared to that, the situation this time was much better. There were some minor incidents, but no major problems," he said.

He said around 2,570 nomination papers had been submitted so far, indicating a competitive election. "On average, more than eight nominations have been submitted per constituency. Some may be rejected during scrutiny, but even three candidates in a seat would still indicate a competitive election," he added.

The Election Commission said that a total of 2,582 candidates submitted nomination papers in all 300 constituencies by the deadline, although 3,407 aspirants had collected nomination forms.

According to the schedule announced by Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin, the deadline for submitting nominations was 29 December. The scrutiny, appeal and disposal process will be completed before the final date for withdrawal of candidature on 20 January. Symbol allocation will take place on 21 January.

Campaigning will continue until 7:30am on 10 February. As per the schedule announced on 11 December, the national parliamentary election will be held on 12 February, alongside a referendum on the same day.