Returning officers in many constituencies are yet to start distributing leaflets containing a set of mandatory information about the candidates.

To help people make an informed choice, the leaflets are supposed to mention eight pieces of information, including on the candidates' and their dependents' wealth, annual income, source of income, education, occupation and cases, if any, filed against them.

The election campaign started on December 10 would continue until December 28 midnight.

A writ petition was filed yesterday with the High Court seeking a directive on the Election Commission to publish and distribute leaflets among the voters, containing all information mentioned by the candidates in their affidavits, to help people choose their representative.

Law and Life Foundation, a rights organisation, filed the petition seeking the court's order on the EC to comply with the guidelines provided in chapter VII of the eleventh national parliament election manual.

According to the manual, the EC must distribute leaflets among voters in each constituency, revealing information about the candidates, said the petitioner's lawyer Humayun Kabir Pallab.

If the voters do not know about the candidates, they will not be able to choose the right representative and the election will not be fair, the lawyer said, citing the petition.

The HC may hear the petition on Monday.

The Daily Star yesterday talked with returning officers (RO) in Nilphamari, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj, Sylhet, Manikganj and Pabna.

Of them, only Tofael Islam in Moulvibazar said he had been distributing the leaflets among voters.

Our Nilphamary, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj, Sylhet, Manikganj, Pabna and Narayanganj correspondent contributed to this report.