Nomination rejects flood EC with appeal

Parliamentary aspirants and their supporters throng the Election Commission yesterday as the commission starts hearing candidates' objections against cancellation of their nomination papers during scrutiny.Photo: STAR

On the first day of hearing yesterday, the Election Commission (EC) settled 57 appeals by candidates disqualified during scrutiny, declaring as many as 30 nominations valid and rejecting 27.
Sixteen of the 73 appeals it heard yesterday will be disposed of today, said EC sources.
That the number of nominations being cleared is higher than those snubbed has called into question the standard of scrutiny by the returning officers (ROs).
So far, 267 appeals have been filed. Of them, 232 are against rejection and the rest are against acceptance of nominations.
The commission will accept appeals till today. It will continue hearing till December 10. The closing day for withdrawing nominations is December 11.
Of the candidates back in the race, Mohammad Nabi Nawaz in Jhenidah-3 belongs to Awami League (AL) and Rafiqul Islam Jamal in Jhalakathi-1 to BNP.
The other contestants whose nominations have been accepted are Jatiya Party's Mostafizur Rahman in Comilla-2, Zahirul Islam in Dhaka-8, Monzur Alam in Jhalakathi-1 and AKSM Sahidul Islam in Chandpur-1, Jamaat-e-Islami's Abul Kawser Mohammad Nazrul Islam in Gaibandha-3, Bangladesh Islami Andolon's Shamsuddin in Faridpur-4, Moulana Abdul Jalil in Pabna-4, Moinul Islam in Jhalakathi-1 and AKM Erfan in Dhaka-8, Jatiya Party's (Monju) Mohammad Rubel Hawlader in Jhalakathi-1, Sarwar Hossain in Dhaka-7 and Lutfar Rahman in Kurigram-4, Gono Forum's Safar Ali in Dhaka-4 and -5, and Abu Bakar Siddiky in Chandpur-2, Krishak Sramik Janata League's Sayed Ali in Rangpur-3, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal's Akhter Hazi in Dhaka-4, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal's Biren Chandra Sil in Gaibandha-1,Bikalpadhara Bangladesh's Maqbul Hossain in Lalmonirhat-1, National People's Party's Solaiman Pramanik in Pabna-4, Khelafat Majlish's Master Ansar Uddin in Barisal-3, and Bangladesh Kalyan Party's Tapan Kumar Mitra in Pirojpur-1 and Shafiqur Rahman in Dhaka-4.
The others are independent candidates Mahe Alam contesting in Jhalakathi-1, Kazi Sirajul Islam in Faridpur-1, Sajjat Jumma in Jhenidah-3, Muhibur Rahman in Sylhet-2 and Yunus Ali in Gaibandha-3.
The appeals pending include those by AL candidates Sarfuddin Ahmed in Rangpur-1, Fazle Rabbi in Gaibandha-5 and Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir in Chandpur-1.
MA Hashem and Sahabuddin Ahmed, both of whom filed nomination as BNP candidates in Dhaka-11, are among those awaiting verdict from the commission.
The ROs scrutinised the nomination papers on December 3 and 4. They cancelled 557 applications on charges of defaulting on loans and utility service bills and forgery of signatures.
At least eight BNP and five AL nominees were declared unfit to contest the polls.
Jatiya Party (JP), a component of the AL-led grand alliance, saw three of its candidates disqualified.