DHAKA — The 13th national parliamentary election will be held Feb. 12. A referendum will be held the same day. A total of 162 prospective candidates had collected nomination papers from various parties and as independents to contest from Dhaka’s 20 seats. Of them, 27 candidates have withdrawn from the race, leaving 135 candidates in the contest for the Dhaka seats.
Throughout Tuesday, Jan. 20, candidates withdrew their nominations separately at three offices — the Dhaka divisional commissioner, the Dhaka district administrator and the Dhaka regional election officer.
A total of 27 candidates withdrew their candidacy at the office of the returning officer at the Dhaka divisional commissioner’s office in Segunbagicha, the Dhaka regional returning officer’s office and the Dhaka district returning officer’s office, according to officials.
Among them, Bilkis Nasima Rahman, nominated by Ganasanghati Andolan for Dhaka-18, withdrew her nomination Monday, Jan. 19, said Tahjib Hasan Hridom, information officer at the Dhaka divisional commissioner’s office.
Other candidates who withdrew include Mokhleshur Rahman Kashemi of Bangladesh Nezame Islam Party from Dhaka-5; Md. Lutfur Rahman of Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) from Dhaka-5; S.M. Shahria of National Citizen Party (NCP) from Dhaka-5; and Md. Atiqur Rahman Nayou Munshi of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan from Dhaka-5.
From Dhaka-6, Ghazi Nasir of Amar Bangladesh Party; from Dhaka-7, Tarek Ahmed Adel of National Citizen Party (NCP); from Dhaka-8, Md. Fayez Bakhsh Sarkar of Khelafat Majlis and Kabir Ahmed of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
Also withdrawing: from Dhaka-10, Ahmed Ali of Khelafat Majlis and Syed Belayet Hossain Belal of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD); from Dhaka-12, Muhammad Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh Labour Party; from Dhaka-16, Ahsanullah of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis and Md. Rifat Hossain Malik of Khelafat Majlis; from Dhaka-17, Md. Emdadul Haque of Khelafat Majlis; from Dhaka-18, Muhammad Ashraful Haque of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Mafizul Islam of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Saif Uddin Ahmed Khandakar of Khelafat Majlis, and Mohammad Neyamatullah (Amin) of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis.
From the Dhaka regional election officer’s office, Md. Murad Hossain of Islami Andolan Bangladesh from Dhaka-13 and A.K.M. Shafiqul Islam of Ganaforum from Dhaka-15 withdrew their nominations.
From the Dhaka district administrator’s election officer’s office, Farhad Hossain of Khelafat Majlis from Dhaka-1, A.K.M. Enamul Haque of Khelafat Majlis from Dhaka-19, Afzal Hossain of Jamaat-e-Islami, and Abdur Rauf of Jamaat-e-Islami from Dhaka-20 withdrew their nominations.
The candidates will be allotted symbols Wednesday, Jan. 21, after the deadline for withdrawing nominations. They will be able to begin campaigning the following day.
Under Section 16 of the Representation of the People Order, 1972, a validly nominated candidate may apply to the returning officer in writing to withdraw their candidacy on or before the appointed day, either personally or through a duly authorized representative.
If a registered political party has nominated more than one candidate in a single constituency, the party’s president, general secretary or person holding an equivalent position must inform the returning officer in writing of the final candidate nomination within the same period.
According to the revised election schedule, the returning officer will publish the final list of candidates and allot symbols on Jan. 21. Election campaigning will begin Jan. 22 and may continue until 7:30 a.m. Feb. 10. Voting will take place Thursday, Feb. 12, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report