Election Commission (EC) has declared 1985 candidates valid and 731 candidates invalid after verifying the nomination papers submitted by candidates across the country to participate in the 12th National Assembly elections. Election Commission (EC) Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath informed this information yesterday evening. Meanwhile, the candidates can apply to the Election Commission (EC) from Today to get back the canceled nominations of the returning officers. For this purpose, the organization has 10 separate booths for 10 regions in EC. As per the schedule announced by the EC, appeals against the decision of the Returning Officer will be filed and disposed of before the Commission from December 5 to 15, with the last date for withdrawal of candidature being December 17. The returning officers will allot the symbols on December 18. The election campaign will continue till 8 am on January 5. Voting will be held on 7th January 2024 (Sunday). According to the EC sources, the number of seats that the political parties have nominated are - Awami League 298 (the party submitted two nominations each in five seats), Jatiya Party 286 (the party submitted two party nominations in 18 seats), Trinamool BNP 151, JSD 91, Islami Oikyajote 45, Zaker Party 218, Islamic Front Bangladesh 39, Bangladesh Workers Party 33, Krishak Sramik Janata League 34, Bangladesh Islamic Front 37, Gonofront 25, Ganoforum 9 and Jamiat Islam Bangladesh 1. There are also, National People's Party 142, Bangladesh Muslim League 2, Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan13, Bangladesh Tariqat Federation 47, Jatiya Party (JP) 20, Bangladesh Sammovadi Dal 06, Gonotontry Party 12, Bangladesh National Awami Party 6, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh 14, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal 1, Bangladesh Jatiya Party 13, Bangladesh Kalyan Party 18, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis 1, Bangladesh Muslim League BML 5, Bangladesh sanskritik mukti jote 74, Bangladesh Nationalist Front BNF 55, Bangladesh Congress 116, Bangladesh Nationalist Movement BNM 49 and Bangladesh Supreme Party 82. Besides, 747 people submitted nomination papers as independent candidates. The number of voters of the 12th National Parliament election is 11 crore 96 lakh 91 thousand 633 people. And there are 42 thousand 103 polling stations.
Boat candidate Shammi's nomination cancelled
The Election Commission has canceled the nomination of Awami League's International Affairs Secretary Dr. Shammi Ahmed, candidate for Barisal-4 (Hijla-Mehendiganj) Constituency due to his dual citizenship. Yesterday District Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner Shahidul Islam made this announcement after the second day of hearing. The Deputy Commissioner said that dual citizenship is unacceptable to be a candidate according to the Public Representation Order 1972. Awami League nominated candidate Dr. Shammi Ahmed's nomination has been canceled due to his dual citizenship. Apart from this, the nomination of 10 other people from the district has been canceled. 45 candidates have been validated. A total of 55 candidates collected nominations.
Candidates can appeal today
Scrutiny of nomination papers for the 12th National Parliament elections was completed yesterday. Candidates can apply to the Election Commission (EC) from today to get back the canceled nominations of the returning officers. For this purpose, the organization has 10 separate booths for 10 regions in EC. Deputy Secretary of Election Commission (EC) Law Branch Md. Abdush Salam gave this information yesterday. He said, according to the People's Representation Order and Election Management Rules, any candidate or bank or financial institution aggrieved by the order of the Returning Officer against the cancellation and acceptance of the nomination paper within five days after the verification of the nomination paper i.e. from December 5 to December 9 (10:30 AM to 4:00 PM). He can file an appeal in the form of a memorandum (including 1 set of original appeal documents and 6 sets of shadow copies) with the Election Commission. Therefore, 10 booths for 10 regions have been made in the election building. Appeals must be submitted to 10 officers. After hearing the appeal applications, the result of the appeal will be displayed on the monitor, the PDF copy of the judgment and the decision of the appeal will be sent to the e-mail account of the concerned party including the Returning Officer, and will be published on the website of the Election Commission. Besides, the copy of the judgment of the appeal will be distributed from the reception desk of the election building through the responsible officer as per the schedule. On the other hand, copies of judgments will be distributed on request.
Nothing to do if candidate ineligible: AL
According to the rules of the Election Commission, if any candidate nominated by Awami League is considered ineligible, there is nothing to be done on behalf of the party, said Obaidul Quader, the general secretary of the party. He said, "If they don't survive the appeal, then there is nothing we can do." We will not pressure anyone. If they are excluded according to the rules of the Election Commission then they will be excluded. We will not be biased. Quader said these things at a press conference organized at the political office of the Awami League president in Dhanmondi of the capital yesterday afternoon. Obaidul Quader said that the election and democratic system in this country should be in such a way that one elected government will hand over power to another elected government in a democratic process. We are uncompromising on this principle. It is in no way acceptable to have an unelected person come in and make an abnormal government. He said, today BNP has failed in the movement. We have been seeing in this country, which is our experience. If the movement fails, it is not possible to win the election. The party that loses in the movement will also lose in the election. We are not worried or concerned at all.
Incidentally, 2,712 candidates from 29 parties and independents filed nomination papers in this year's parliamentary elections. As per the schedule announced by the EC, appeals against the decision of the Returning Officer will be filed and disposed of before the Commission from December 5 to 15, with the last date for withdrawal of candidature being December 17. The returning officers will allot the symbols on December 18. The election campaign will continue till 8 am on January 5. And voting will be held on 7th January 2024 (Sunday).
ARS
