Returning officers and assistant returning officers on Sunday rejected the nomination papers of 786 candidates, including jailed Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia and many other prominent ones mostly fromBNP.
After the scrutiny, they declared nomination papers of 2,279 candidates valid for the general election scheduled for December 30.
The returning and assistant returning officers cancelled the nominations citing varying grounds, including defaulted bank loans and credit card and utility bills, signatures of inadequate number of voters required for independent candidature, forged signatures of voters, absence of valid documents supporting authentication as party candidates, absence of signatures in affidavits, mismatch of signatures of candidates and party leaders who authenticated party candidates and absence of proof of resignation from the offices of local government bodies, reported correspondents in districts.
The returning officers cancelled all the three nomination papers filed by Khaleda for Feni 1 and Bogura 6 and 7 constituencies citing her convictions and sentences for more than two years in two cases.
BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi alleged that the party chief’s nomination papers were cancelled as per a government plan to keep her out of the elections.
‘We think, it’s an ill-motivated decision,’ Rizvi said at briefing at the BNP central office.
Khaleda in affidavits submitted with her nomination papers in the general election in 2008 and for the 11th parliamentary elections showed that the number of cases against her increased by 30 in the past 10 years.
The Returning officer of Bogura also cancelled nomination papers of Gabtoli Upazila Parishad chairman Morshed Milton, an alternative candidate to Khaleda for Bogura 7, citing that there was no proof that he resigned as upazila chairman, reported New Age correspondent in Bogura.
Bogura 7 is unlikely to have any BNP candidate as the returning officer also cancelled the nomination papers of another local BNP leader Sarkar Badal, stating that there was no proof that he resigned as the Shajahanpur Upazila Parishad chairman.
Both Morshed and Sarkar said that they tendered resignation separately before submitting the nomination papers.
The returning officer, however, found BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s nomination for Bogura 6 valid.
The returning officer of Feni cancelled nomination papers of Noor Ahmmad Majumder of BNP for Feni 1 for defaulting on bank loan. He, however, found valid the nomination papers of BNP’s alternative candidate Munshi Rafiqul Islam Majnu, also the Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal Dhaka south unit president, for the constituency.
In Dhaka division, the election officials cancelled nomination papers of Nabiullah Nabi and Selim Bhuiyan of BNP for Dhaka 5, Afroza Abbas of BNP for Dhaka 9, Amanullah Aman of BNP for Dhaka 2, Abdul Kader Siddique of Krishak Sramik Janata League for Tangail 4 and 8 and Nazmul Huda of Trinamool BNP for Dhaka 17 on allegation of defaulting on loans, Moulana Ishaque of Islami Oiky Jote for Narsingdi 1 on allegation of defaulting on electricity bill and independent candidate Altamas Kabir for Narsingdi 2 on allegation of providing forged signature of some voters.
In Chittagong division, returning officer cancelled nomination papers of Aslam Chowdhury of BNP for Chittagong 4, M Morshed Khan of BNP for Chittagong 8, Gias Uddin Qader Chowdhury and his son Samir Qader Chowdhury of BNP for Chittagong 2 and 7, Mostafa Kamal Pasha for Chittagong 3, Abdul Latif Jony of BNP for Feni 3, and ruling Awami League-led alliance lawmaker Abdul Awal for Lakshmipur 1 for defaulting on loans and Mir Nasir Uddin and his son Mir Helal Uddin of BNP for Chittagong 5 on allegation of failure to prove that their cases were stayed.
In Sylhet division, returning officers cancelled nomination papers of Gono Forum leader Reza Kibria for Habiganj 1 for defaulted loan and Jatiya Party whip Salim Uddin for Sylhet 5 and 6 for submitting papers as party candidate as well as independent candidate.
In Rajshahi division, nomination papers of former BNP minister Aminul Haque for Rajshahi 1 and M Ruhul Quddus Talukdar Dulu of BNP for Natore 2 were cancelled on allegation of defaulted loan.
In Khulna division, nomination papers of former minister Nazim Uddin-Al-Azad of Bikalpa Dhara for Jashore 4 and Awami League district general secretary Shahin Chakladar for Jessore 3 were cancelled for defaulted loans.
In Rangpur division, nomination paper of Ganajagaran Mancha spokesperson Imran H Sarkar for Kurigram 4 was cancelled for not having required public support.
In Barishal division, returning officers cancelled nomination papers of Jatiya Party secretary general Ruhul Amin Howlader for Patuakhali 1 for defaulting on loan, M Masud Parvez of the Jatiya Party for Barishal 2 for errors in the form and BNP’s Golam Mawla Roni for Patuakhali 3 for putting no signature in affidavit.
In Rajshahi, nominations of BNP’s Aminul Haque and Shahadat Hossain for Rajshahi 1, BNP candidate Matiur Rahman Mantu and Jatiya Party candidate Shahbuddin Bacchu for Rajshahi 3, BNP’s Abdul Gafur for Rajshahi 4, BNP’s Nadim Mostofa for Rajshahi 5 and BNP’s Abu Sayeed were cancelled.
The BNP alleged that the returning officer of Manikganj rejected nomination papers of its aspirants in three constituencies in the district questioning the authenticity of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s signatures.
Aspirant candidates will need to appeal to the Election Commission against the cancellation of their nominations in three days.
According to the commission secretariat, of the 731 nomination papers in Dhaka division, 192 were declared invalid and 539 were found valid.
Of the 677 nomination papers, 173 were declared invalid and 504 were found valid in Chattogram division.
In Barishal division, of the 183 nomination papers, 38 were declared invalid and 145 were found valid.
In Rajshahi division, of the 355 nomination papers, 96 were found invalid and 259 found valid.
In Sylhet division, of the 184 nomination papers 44 were declared invalid and 140 were found valid.
In Khulna division, of the 351 nomination papers, 90 were declared invalid and 261 were found valid.
In Rangpur division, of the 353 nomination papers, 91 were declared invalid and 262 were declared valid.
In Mymensingh division, out of 231 nomination papers, 62 were declared invalid and 169 were found valid.
Source: New Age.
