With the deadline for submitting nomination papers for the upcoming national elections falling today (Monday), nearly 99 per cent of aspirants who collected the forms have yet to file them as they are waiting for the last day.
"A total of 2,780 nomination papers were collected to contest the election from the country's 300 constituencies and only 31 papers were submitted till 2:30pm on Sunday," said Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Sunday evening.
The deadline for the submission of nomination papers will expire at 5:00pm on Monday, said EC officials.
Md Yunus Ali, the returning officer for Dhaka-13 and Dhaka-15 constituencies, said a total of 29 nomination papers were collected in the two constituencies, but only three papers were submitted till Sunday. "Most of the nomination papers will be submitted tomorrow (the last day)," he said.
The EC on December 11 last announced the schedule to arrange the 13th parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order simultaneously on February 12 next.
According to the election schedule, the deadline for the submission of nomination papers is December 29, while the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is January 20. The election campaign will start on January 22 and continue till 48 hours before the balloting period (7:30am on February 10).
The Election Commission on the day clarified that providing the income tax information of an aspirant's spouse, children and dependents in the nomination form would be considered as optional.
The EC issued the clarification in a letter sent to 69 returning officers, including two divisional commissioners, three regional election officers, and 64 district deputy commissioners, hours after a demand for clarification from BNP.
"Regarding income tax information in serial 10 of the affidavit: providing the income tax related information of the spouse, children, and dependents mentioned in columns 2, 3, and 4 of the income tax return section shall be considered optional," the commission said in the letter.
