Dhaka: The Election Commission on Sunday cleared the way for 58 previously rejected aspirants to contest the upcoming national election on February 12. Among those reinstated are Nagorik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna for Bogura-2, two Jamaat-e-Islami nominees for Chandpur-2 and Bogura-2, and six Jatiya Party aspirants, raising the stakes in several key constituencies ahead of the February 12 polls.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the Election Commission, acting as the Electoral Appeal Tribunal and chaired by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, heard a total of 71 appeal petitions at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city on Sunday. Of these, the Commission granted 58 petitions, rejected seven, and kept six pending to be settled later, stated EC Director (PR) Ruhul Amin Mollik.
The addition of these 58 aspirants means that a total of 109 petitioners have returned to the electoral race, while one lost candidacy as the EC completed hearings on 132 petitions in the first two days. The EC is scheduled to hear and dispose of a total of 645 petitions by January 18, filed by aggrieved aspirants challenging the decisions of returning officers regarding the acceptance or cancellation of nomination papers.
Those regaining candidacy on Sunday include Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna for Bogura-2, two Jamaat aspirants Mohammad Abdul Mobin for Chandpur-2 and Mujibur Rahman Azadi for Jamalpur-3, and six Jatiya Party aspirants, among others. Additionally, the petition of Jamaat-nominated Mohammad Moslehuddin Farid for Jashore-2 was kept pending for a decision on January 16.
Mahmudur Rahman Manna, whose nomination for Bogura-2 was initially canceled due to alleged bank loan default, expressed relief and gratitude following the EC’s decision. He claimed that the default allegations were false and attributed the issue to a conspiracy involving a fake notice created by an official of Islami Bank’s Bogura Borogola branch.
The EC’s decision reflects a lenient approach towards minor errors in nomination documents, with a majority of aspirants who challenged the rejection of their papers regaining eligibility. 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. During scrutiny, 1,842 nomination papers were declared valid, while 723 others were invalidated.
The Election Commission announced the polls schedule on December 11 for the 13th parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter Implementation Order, both set for February 12, 2026. The deadline for withdrawal of candidature is January 20, with the election campaign starting on January 22 and continuing until 48 hours before the balloting period.