The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday concluded its final day of appeal hearings clearing the way for several prominent candidates, including BNP Vice-Chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo and leader Aslam Chowdhury, to contest the upcoming National Parliament election.
However, the commission disqualified several others on grounds of loan defaults and dual citizenship.
Mintoo's Candidacy Upheld
In a significant ruling at the Election Commission auditorium in Agargaon, the full commission upheld the candidacy of BNP Vice Chairman and party nominee for the Feni-3 constituency, Abdul Awal Mintoo.
The commission rejected an appeal filed by the Jamaat-e-Islami candidate for the same seat, Mohammad Fakhruddin Manik, who had challenged the validity of Mintoo's nomination. With this decision, the EC maintained the initial approval given by the returning officer, allowing the veteran BNP leader to remain in the electoral race.
Mixed Fortunes for BNP
The EC also declared the nomination paper of BNP's Chattogram-4 candidate, Aslam Chowdhury, valid after a lengthy hearing. Legal counsels from both sides presented extensive arguments regarding the initial cancellation of his candidacy by the returning officer before the commission ruled in his favour.
However, the BNP faced setbacks elsewhere. The commission cancelled the candidacy of Sarwar Alamgir (Chattogram-2) on grounds of being a loan defaulter. Interestingly, the challenge against Alamgir was filed by the Jamaat-e-Islami candidate for that seat, Md. Nurul Amin.
Similarly, the nomination of Md. Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan (Cumilla-10) was cancelled due to dual citizenship. The EC noted that Bhuiyan had failed to disclose his second citizenship in his nomination papers and remained unrepresented during the hearing.
Jamaat Candidates Validated
Candidates from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami saw a string of favorable rulings. The EC validated the nomination of Moslem Uddin Farid for Jashore-2 and upheld the candidacy of Barrister Mohammad Nazrul Islam for Dhaka-1.
A rival candidate had sought the cancellation of Barrister Islam's candidacy alleging dual citizenship, but the commission dismissed the application, citing a lack of evidence.
Final List Nears Completion
Sunday's hearings marked the end of the administrative phase for candidate scrutiny. With the disposal of the final batch of appeals, the focus now shifts to the withdrawal of candidacies and the subsequent allocation of electoral symbols.
According to EC sources, the commission has processed over 600 appeals over the last week to ensure all contestants meet the criteria set forth in the Representation of the People Order (RPO).
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