Election Appeals End, Candidates Can Withdraw Nominations Tomorrow

The ninth and final day of appeal hearings regarding nomination papers for Bangladesh’s National Parliamentary elections takes place today, following the eighth day of proceedings yesterday, Saturday. These hearings concern appeals against decisions by returning officers to accept or reject nomination papers, a critical step in finalising the list of candidates.

Today, the Election Commission (EC) will hear remaining appeals, including serial numbers 611 to 645, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Tomorrow, Monday, marks the final day for candidates to withdraw their nominations. Subsequently, on Tuesday, the EC will release the final list of candidates and assign election symbols. Campaigning is scheduled to begin on Wednesday. The national elections will be held on 12 February, with polling running from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm.

During Saturday’s eighth day of hearings, held at the EC auditorium in Agargaon, Dhaka, 43 candidates had their nominations reinstated, while 37 appeals were rejected—13 concerning previously rejected nominations and 24 against accepted nominations. Additionally, two candidates’ appeals challenging acceptance were approved, resulting in 15 nominations being effectively cancelled that day. Of the rejected nominations, two were absent from the hearing. Nine appeals were withdrawn, and 19 appeals were deferred to future sessions.

Over the course of eight days, 397 candidates successfully reclaimed their nominations. However, 145 candidates have lost their nominations due to invalidation by the EC.

From 30 December to 4 January, returning officers and assistant returning officers assessed 2,568 nomination papers. Of these, 1,842 nominations were validated, while 723 were rejected. Special considerations were given regarding the three nomination papers filed on behalf of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia following her death, which were not processed during initial scrutiny.

Analysis of the EC’s preliminary screening shows that most independent candidates were rejected for failing to meet the one-percent supporter endorsement requirement. Other common reasons included inability to verify voters for dual constituencies, failure to submit required certificate or return copies, and missing magistrate signatures on affidavits.

Between 5 and 9 January, candidates were allowed to appeal decisions on acceptance or rejection of their nominations. A total of 645 appeals were submitted across ten regional booths, many challenging acceptance of nominations.

Key Election Timeline:

The completion of appeal hearings will finalise the list of eligible candidates and pave the way for the formal start of the election campaign, marking a decisive phase in Bangladesh’s parliamentary electoral process.