Jatiya Party to sell nomination form at Tk30,000

The Jatiya Party has fixed the price of nomination form at Tk30,000 for the upcoming 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) elections.

The party will start selling nomination papers from tomorrow (20 November).

Aspiring candidates will be able to collect the forms from party chairman's Banani office, Khandaker Delwar Jalali, press secretary to JaPa chairman told The Business Standard.

They can collect and submit these nomination papers from 10:00am to 4:00pm till 23 November, reads a press release signed by Jatiya Party Joint Office Secretary Mahmud Alam.

The party will take interviews of prospective candidates from 24-27 November. It will publish the final list of candidates on 28 November. 

However, the party said no decision has been made regarding its participation in the polls.

Masroor Mawla, special envoy to Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader, told The Business Standard, "In response to the Election Commission's request for our party symbol, we have initiated the sale of nomination papers to prepare for the upcoming election. 

"However, a decision regarding participation in the polls hasn't been finalised. The party intends to refrain from making a decision on this matter until dialogues with political parties are held."

Asked if dialogue doesn't occur before 30 November, will the Jatiya Party join the polls, he responded that they party will address this matter at a later time.

He also mentioned that the selling of nomination forms is going to start to alleviate the suffering of our leaders and activists arriving in Dhaka from various regions of the country. 

"Selling nominations does not mean joining the polls; our aim remains to engage in dialogue," he added.

The ruling Awami League (AL) started selling nomination papers on Saturday (18 November). 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina kicked off the sale of AL nomination forms, by buying her own form as a candidate for the upcoming 12th National Parliament election, at the party's Bangabandhu Avenue central office in the capital yesterday.

The party has sold a total of 2,286 nomination forms in two days earning Tk11.43 crore. 

Earlier on Wednesday (15 November), the Election Commission announced the polls schedule for the 12th Jatiya Sangsad election that is to be held on 7 January.

Political parties will be able to submit nominations for candidacies till 30 November.

The Election Commission will scrutinise the nomination submissions from 1-4 December. Appeals against the nominations can be submitted from 6-15 December and nominations need to be withdrawn by 17 December.

Political parties will be able to distribute symbols within 18 December and the election campaign will officially kick off on 18 December. The campaign duration will end at 8:00am on 5 January.