Today, Tuesday, marks the final day for candidates to withdraw their nominations for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. According to the Election Commission’s (EC) schedule, the allocation of electoral symbols will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, 21 January. From 22 January onwards, candidates will be permitted to commence their election campaigns across constituencies.
The national vote is scheduled for 12 February, with polling running uninterrupted from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Voters will cast their ballots using paper ballot slips, deposited in transparent ballot boxes, in a process designed to ensure transparency and accountability.
The Election Commission’s official notice on candidate withdrawal cites Section 16 of the Representation of the People Order, 1972. It specifies that a validly nominated candidate may withdraw their candidature by submitting a signed written notice either personally or via an authorised representative to the Returning Officer on or before the deadline.
In cases where a registered political party nominates multiple candidates in the same constituency, the party’s president, general secretary, or equivalent office-bearer must submit a written notice designating the final candidate. Once such a notice is received, all other candidates from that party will no longer be considered nominees. Importantly, once a nomination withdrawal notice is submitted, or a party finalises its candidate selection, these decisions are irrevocable.
The Returning Officer, upon verifying the authenticity of the notice, is required to publicly display a copy in a prominent location at the office. The following day, the Returning Officer will prepare and publish the official list of contesting candidates. According to EC regulations, the names of candidates on Form-5 must be listed in alphabetical order using the Bengali script when symbols are allocated.
Based on EC data, as of 4 January, Returning Officers had examined a total of 2,568 nomination papers across 300 constituencies. Of these, 1,842 were declared valid, while 723 were rejected.
Additionally, the appeals process against Returning Officer decisions concluded last Sunday. A total of 645 appeals were filed with the EC: 425 were approved, 209 rejected, and 11 withdrawn.
Nomination Statistics for 13th Parliamentary Election
| Category | Total Number |
|---|---|
| Nomination Papers Submitted | 2,568 |
| Valid Nominations | 1,842 |
| Invalid Nominations | 723 |
| Appeals Filed | 645 |
| Appeals Approved | 425 |
| Appeals Rejected | 209 |
| Appeals Withdrawn | 11 |
The withdrawal of nominations today sets the stage for the symbolic allocation tomorrow, marking the final pre-election procedural step before campaigning begins nationwide.