The Election Commission on Sunday cleared the way for most candidates facing dual citizenship complications to contest the February 12 national election, but rejected appeals from two BNP aspirants from Cumilla-3 and Cumilla-10.
BNP candidate Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan (Cumilla-10) lost his candidature on ground of dual citizenship issue during the hearing in his absentia, while another BNP contestant Sarowar Alamgir (Chattogram-2) lost his candidacy on ground of loan default on Sunday.
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However, the EC, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, kept the fate of BNP candidate Kazi Shah Mofazzel Hossain Kaikobad (Cumilla-3) pending for the verification of denouncement of his Turkish citizenship. But the Commission is most likely to uphold his candidacy to run the election from Cumilla-3.
Earlier, on Saturday, the Commission cancelled the candidacy of BNP’s Monzurul Ahsan Munshi and upheld that of National Citizen Party (NCP) candidate Abul Hasnat, popularly known as Hasnat Abdullah, in Cumilla-4. Munshi's candidacy was revoked on the grounds of loan default.
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The EC heard more than 20 petitions related to dual citizenship issues, including several taken up suo motu, and delivered verdicts on all such appeals on Sunday, the final day of the nine-day hearing, aiming to ensure consistency in decisions on similar cases.
The candidates, who faced dual citizenship barriers but their nominations were finally upheld or restored, include BNP candidates Abdul Awal Mintoo (Feni-3), Afroza Khanam (Manikganj-3), AKM Kamruzzaman (Dinajpur-5), Shama Obaid (Faridpur-2), Shawkatul Islam (Maulvibazar-2), Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan (Brahmanbaria-4), Moniruzzaman (Satkhira-4), Tahir Raihan (Sunamganj-2) and Fahim Chowdhury (Sherpur-2), Jamaat-e-Islami candidates Nazrul Islam (Dhaka-1), Zunaid Hasan (Brahmanbaria-3), AKM Fazlul Haqaue (Chattogram-9) and Mahbubul Alam (Kurigram-3), NCP candidate Ehteshamul Haque (Sylhet-1) independent candidates Anwar Hossain (Sunamganj-3) and Sujat Miah (Habiganj-1) and Islami Andolan Bangladesh candidate Zahirul Islam (Noakhali-1).
Besides, the Commission upheld the candidacy of BNP’s Mohammad Aslam Chowdhury (Chattogram-4) and restored the candidacy of Jamaat’s Mohammad Mosleh Uddin Farid (Jashore-2), settling the appeal petitions on ground of loan default.
The EC on Saturday last (January 10) started hearing of the appeal petitions filed by aggrieved persons and organisations against the decisions of the returning officers over the acceptance and cancellations of nomination papers during the scrutiny.
The Commission ended the hearing settling all the 645 appeals on Sunday (January 18).
Following the nine-day hearing, more than 400 previously invalid candidates returned to the February-12 electoral race.
Speaking at the conclusion of the hearings, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said the Commission did not show any bias while disposing of appeals filed against decisions of returning officers.
He said the EC even relaxed the requirement of one-percent voter endorsement for independent candidates to encourage broader participation, adding that the Commission wants a participatory election to be held.
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“We assure that neither I nor my team delivered any judgment with bias,” the CEC said, adding that uniformity was maintained in decisions related to dual citizenship issues.
According to the EC, a total of 2,568 aspirants submitted nomination papers to contest the upcoming national election from the country’s 300 constituencies by the December-29 deadline.
After scrutiny, returning officers declared 1,842 nomination papers valid and rejected 723 others.
The Election Commission on December 11 announced the polls schedule to arrange the 13th parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order simultaneously on February 12, 2026.
According to the schedule, the late date for withdrawal of candidature is January 20. The election campaign will start on January 22 and continue till (7:30am on February 10) 48 hours before the balloting period.