Protests Erupt as Jamaat Candidate Faces Disqualification

In a significant development for the Kurigram-3 (Ulipur) electoral race, the District Returning Officer has officially invalidated the nomination of Mahbubul Alam Salehi, the candidate representing Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. The decision, delivered this Sunday, follows a protracted dispute concerning Mr Salehi’s status as a dual citizen of the United Kingdom. Despite an additional grace period provided by the authorities to rectify the discrepancy, the candidate was unable to produce the requisite legal documentation to prove he had successfully renounced his foreign nationality, leading to his immediate disqualification from the upcoming polls.

The administrative impasse began on Friday during the standard verification process, during which Mr Salehi’s eligibility was called into question. Abu Bakr Siddiq, the Assistant Commissioner and acting official for the District Returning Officer’s control room, confirmed that the candidacy was suspended pending the submission of evidence. When the final deadline expired on Sunday afternoon without the delivery of any official papers confirming the cancellation of his British citizenship, the Returning Officer moved to strike his name from the list of valid contenders.

News of the disqualification prompted a swift and volatile reaction, as roughly 250 Jamaat-e-Islami supporters converged on the grounds of the Deputy Commissioner’s office. The atmosphere grew incredibly tense within the building, where party members engaged in a heated war of words with local officials, accusing the administration of bias. Protesters remained on the premises for some time, voicing their outrage at what they perceived to be an unfair exclusion of their chosen representative.

Mr Salehi has since publicly challenged the integrity of the decision, alleging that the District Commissioner summoned him only to deliver a “predetermined” verdict. He argued that he was not afforded a reasonable opportunity to present his case and suggested that the disqualification was a result of political pressure or a specific agenda designed to hinder his party’s progress. While District Returning Officer Annapurna Debnath could not be reached for comment, her assistants maintained that the ruling was a matter of strict legal compliance. They emphasised that Mr Salehi possesses the right to challenge this decision by filing an appeal with the Election Commission within the legally mandated timeframe.

Electoral Disqualification and Incident Overview