AL campaigning, BNP leaders busy ensuring candidacy

While Awami League candidates have begun exchanging pleasantries with their electorates in six constituencies of Rajshahi, BNP candidates are still running around between Rajshahi and the Election Commission (EC) in Dhaka trying to validate their candidacy.

Nominations of 23 candidates in the district, seven of them BNP candidates, were cancelled on December 2 for different reasons, including defaulting loans with banks and hiding information.

Moreover, none of those candidates were given the certified copy of their nomination cancellation until Tuesday.

With the documents, the prospective candidates would appeal against the cancellation order at the EC in Dhaka within December 5.

BNP candidate at Rajshahi-1 Barrister Aminul Haque said he received his copy on Tuesday morning, and flew to Dhaka to file the appeal.

Nadim Mostafa, a BNP aspirant of Rajshahi-5, said he was waiting for the copy at the EC in Dhaka and sent his chief election agent to the RO's office for receiving his copy. But Azad was not allowed to receive his copy, said Nadim.

“I am now flying to Rajshahi to receive the copy,” said Nadim Mostafa.

Supporters of Abu Sayeed Chand, BNP candidate of Rajshahi-6, said they collected the copy yesterday afternoon and were likely to submit their appeal today.

Rajshahi Returning Officer (RO) SM Abdul Kader said the delay in providing the certified copies was not intentional.

“Writing the orders and providing certified copies take time, after scrutinising all the nomination papers. The candidates will suffer if we hurry and something wrong happens,” he said, adding that the candidates can complain if they cannot submit the appeal in time.

BNP candidate Nadim Mostafa alleged that the RO was favouring the ruling party's candidates by causing the delay.

“AL candidates are on the field while we are still fighting for candidacy,” he said.

However, AL candidates Omor Faruk Chowdhury, Enamul Haque, Shahriar Alam, Dr Mansur Rahman, Ayeen Uddin and AL-led alliance's candidate Fazle Hossain Badsha are exchanging views with voters every day.

They were seen attending meetings with party men, various professional and social bodies and walking to different areas to exchange pleasantries with locals.

Faruk Chowdhury met with AL leaders of Kakonhat yesterday while Badsha met teachers of Rajshahi Mohanagar College.