Abduction of three: EC summons UZ chairman aspirant Lutfol Habib
The Election Commission has summoned Lutfol Habib, a chairman aspirant for Singra upazila polls in Natore, as he is facing allegations of abducting three people -- including another chairman aspirant Delwar Hossain from the same upazila.
In a letter, the commission asked Lutfol Habib to appear before the EC at 4:10pm on April 22 to explain why his candidature will not be cancelled.
The EC said that media reported that three people, including Delwar Hossain and his brother, were abducted on the last date of submission of nominations for the first phase of upazila polls slated for May 8.
Delwar submitted the nomination form online and then went to the district election office to submit a copy of the form in person on April 15.
Mentionable Lutfol, joint general secretary of Singra upazila Awami League and a former chairman of Sherkol Union Parishad, is also a brother-in-law of State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak.
The letter said the EC summoned Lutfol, as the reports received from the local administration and intelligence agencies as well as reports published by media primarily found the allegations [against Lutfol] to be true.
Meanwhile, EC sources said that the total number of valid candidates for the first phase of polls stood at 1,786 after scrutiny of nomination papers.
During the scrutiny on Wednesday, returning officers cancelled the candidatures of 104 aspirants -- 46 for the chairman posts, 40 for the vice chairman posts, and 18 for the vice chairman posts reserved for women -- during the scrutiny.
A total of 1,890 aspirants -- 695 aspirants submitted nominations for the chairman posts, 724 for the vice chairman posts, and 471 for the vice chairman posts reserved for women -- have submitted nomination papers to contest in the first phase of upazila elections across 150 upazilas.
After the scrutinising nomination papers, the number of valid candidates for chairman position stood at 649, for the vice chairman 684, and for the vice chairman posts reserved for women 453.
The upazila elections will take place in four phases. A total of 161 upazilas will be part of polls on May 21 in the second phase, and 112 upazilas will go to polls on May 29 in the third phase.
The fourth phase is expected to take place on June 5.
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