Former Adviser to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and ex-APS officer, Moazzem Hossain, has had his candidacy for the Magura-2 constituency annulled after it was discovered that he submitted a nomination paper containing forged signatures of a deceased voter. Moazzem, who was a key coordinator of the July Movement, had filed as an independent candidate.
On Saturday, 3 January, the district Returning Officer, in conjunction with the Deputy Commissioner’s office, conducted a detailed verification of nomination papers for the Magura-1 and Magura-2 constituencies. Following the scrutiny, Moazzem Hossain’s nomination was officially declared invalid.
District Commissioner Abdullah Al Mahmud explained that, under the Representation of the People Order (RPO), independent candidates are required to submit a list of signatures from 1 per cent of voters in the constituency. Moazzem submitted the required list, which was subsequently sent to the Election Commission for verification. Random checks on ten voters from the list revealed multiple discrepancies:
One voter was found to be deceased.
Seven voters had not signed the list.
One voter could not be traced.
Only one voter confirmed their signature.
In addition to the forged signatures, Moazzem’s affidavit claimed that he had a master’s degree. However, he failed to submit the corresponding degree certificate, providing further grounds for the cancellation of his nomination, confirmed the district Returning Officer.
In the Magura-2 constituency, a total of five candidates filed nomination papers. Alongside Moazzem Hossain, the candidature of National Party nominee Moshar Rahman was also invalidated due to incomplete affidavits.
Meanwhile, in Magura-1, ten candidates submitted nomination papers. Independent candidate Kutubullah Hossain submitted signatures from 4,100 voters, short of the 4,308 required for the constituency, and faced allegations of loan default. Another candidate, Dr. Mizanur Rahman, General Secretary of the central committee of Ganoforum, had his nomination cancelled for failing to submit his income tax returns.
Summary of Nomination Scrutiny:
| Constituency | Candidate | Party/Independent | Issue Leading to Cancellation | Verification Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magura-2 | Moazzem Hossain | Independent | Forged voter signatures, unverified master’s degree | 1 deceased voter, 7 unsigned, 1 untraceable, 1 confirmed |
| Magura-2 | Moshar Rahman | National Party | Incomplete affidavit | Affidavit deficiencies |
| Magura-1 | Kutubullah Hossain | Independent | Shortfall in signatures, loan default | Required 4,308, submitted 4,100 |
| Magura-1 | Dr. Mizanur Rahman | Ganoforum | Income tax return not submitted | Verification by Returning Officer |
The recent verification underscores the Election Commission’s stringent measures to ensure compliance with nomination requirements, aiming to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.