First Day of Appeal Hearings: EC clears 51 to contest

A total of 51 aspirants, including AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, assistant secretary general of Jamaat, and independent candidate Tasnim Jara, regained their candidacy yesterday as the Election Commission began reviewing appeals against returning officers’ decisions.

Returning officers had rejected their nominations after finding issues in their forms during scrutiny. Grounds for cancellation included errors in affidavits, concealment of information, loan defaults, dual citizenship complications, and similar irregularities.

Most challenges sought to overturn rejections, with one appeal instead contesting an accepted nomination.

During the hearings, EC officials approved an appeal by a rival against the decision to accept the nomination of BNP candidate for Brahmanbaria-1, Syed AK Ekramuzzaman, cancelling his candidacy after finding him to be a fugitive from the law.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin led the hearings at the EC headquarters in the capital’s Agargaon.

Briefing the media afterwards, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said, “On the first day, hearings were held on 70 appeals. Of these, 52 appeals were granted, including one challenging the acceptance of a nomination paper. In addition, 15 appeals were rejected, while 3 remain pending.”

The EC will complete hearings on a total of 645 appeals by January 18.

AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, Jamaat’s candidate from Cox’s Bazar-2, regained his nomination after it was cancelled during scrutiny on January 2 due to incomplete information related to cases and punishment.

The EC also cleared Tasnim Jara, an independent candidate for Dhaka-9. Jara, who recently resigned from the National Citizen Party, was rejected by the returning officer based on a mismatch in the signatures from one percent of voters during scrutiny on January 3.

“Over the last week, I have gone through a very different kind of experience. People at home and abroad have sent their good wishes and prayers. When I spoke to people on the streets, many told me they were praying for me,” she told reporters after attending the hearings.

Meanwhile, at least 16 Jatiya Party candidates regained their candidacy yesterday through appeal. They include Abdul Hannan from Shariatpur-3, Mostafa Jamal from Narsingdi-1, and Salauddin Khoka from Narayanganj-4.

Hearings were held for five candidates of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, and all five regained their candidatures.

At the same time, one candidate each from Bangladesh Congress, Islami Oikya Jote, Jagpa, AB Party, Insaniyat Bangladesh, and Bangladesh Supreme Party; two each from Bangladesh Jasad and Basad; and three from Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, as well as 15 independent candidates, also had their candidatures restored.