The nomination of Jamaat-e-Islami candidate and assistant secretary general AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad for Cox's Bazar-2 (Maheshkhali-Kutubdia) has been cancelled following scrutiny of nomination papers for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The decision was announced on Friday evening by the District Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner Md Abdul Mannan after examining the submitted documents.
Election officials said the cancellation stemmed from non-disclosure of a contempt of court case against Hamidur Rahman Azad in his nomination papers. Sources at the Deputy Commissioner's office said the omission constituted a violation of electoral rules, leading to the disqualification. However, the candidate retains the right to appeal the decision.
Md Abdul Mannan said, "Due to discrepancies in the information provided in nomination papers, the submissions of four candidates across two constituencies have been cancelled. The candidates concerned will have the opportunity to file appeals."
In Cox's Bazar district, a total of 23 candidates-from BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Party, Islami Andolan, Khelafat Majlis, and among independents-submitted nomination papers across four constituencies.
In Cox's Bazar-2, seven candidates initially filed nominations. Following scrutiny, the nominations of Jamaat candidate AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad and independent candidate Golam Mawla were declared invalid.
As a result, five candidates remain in the race in Cox's Bazar-2 Alamgir Muhammad Mahfuz Ullah Farid (BNP), Ziaul Haque (Islami Andolan Bangladesh), Obaidul Qader Nadvi (Khelafat Majlis), S M Rokonuzzaman Khan (Gono Odhikar Parishad), and Mahmudul Karim (Jatiya Party).
Meanwhile, in Cox's Bazar-1 (Chakaria-Pekua), the nominations of two candidates were cancelled due to discrepancies. They are Md Sarwar Alam Kutubi of Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Md Saiful Islam, an independent candidate.
Five candidates had initially submitted nomination papers in this constituency. After scrutiny, the nominations of three candidates were found valid Salahuddin Ahmad (BNP), Abdullah Al Faruk (Jamaat-e-Islami), and Md Abdul Qader (Gono Odhikar Parishad).
According to the revised election schedule announced by the Election Commission, appeals against returning officers' decisions can be filed between January 5 and January 9. Appeals will be disposed of from January 10 to January 18, while candidates may withdraw nominations until January 20. Electoral symbols will be allocated on January 21, ahead of the national parliamentary elections and referendum scheduled for February 12.
Meanwhile, The scrutiny of nomination papers for three of the seven parliamentary constituencies in Bogura has been completed, with several candidacies cancelled due to irregularities, election officials said on Friday.
In Bogura-2 (Shibganj), the nominations of Mahmudur Rahman Manna, president of Nagorik Oikya and a former vice-president of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU), and Shariful Islam Jinnah, a former lawmaker of the Jatiya Party, were cancelled. In Bogura-1 (Sariakandi-Sonatala), the nomination of independent candidate Shahzadi Alam Lipi was also declared invalid.
Deputy Commissioner and District Returning Officer Toufiqul Rahman announced the decisions after completing the scrutiny process on Friday afternoon (January 2). He said candidates whose nominations were cancelled would be able to file appeals in line with election rules.
Explaining the cancellations, the returning officer said Shariful Islam Jinnah failed to submit the mandatory asset declaration form along with his affidavit, leading to the rejection of his nomination. Mahmudur Rahman Manna's nomination was cancelled due to inconsistencies in the information provided in his affidavit, he added.
A total of seven candidates submitted nomination papers in Bogura-2 (Shibganj). They included BNP-nominated candidate and Shibganj upazila BNP president Mir Shahe Alam, Nagorik Oikya president Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Islami Andolan Bangladesh candidate Md Jamal Uddin, Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Principal Maulana Abul Azad Mohammad Shahadatuzzaman, independent candidate Rezaul Karim Talu, Gono Odhikar Parishad candidate Selim Sarkar, and Jatiya Party candidate Shariful Islam Jinnah. Following scrutiny, the nominations of Manna and Jinnah were cancelled.
In Bogura-1 (Sariakandi-Sonatala), the returning officer said independent candidate Shahzadi Alam Lipi's nomination was cancelled due to irregularities in the signatures and information of the required one percent supporting voters. Although she submitted the mandatory list, field verification revealed significant discrepancies, failing to meet legal requirements.
Officials said seven candidates submitted nomination papers in the Bogura-1 constituency. The nominations of former BNP lawmaker Kazi Rafiqul Islam, BNP candidate AKM Ahsanul Tayeb Zakir, Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Md Shahabuddin, and Gano Forum candidate Zulfikar Ali were declared valid, as their affidavits and documents were found to be in order and no objections were raised.
Meanwhile, the nominations of two other candidates remain pending. They are ABM Mostafa Kamal Pasha of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, due to failure to submit an educational qualification certificate, and Asadul Haque of Bangladesh Congress. Election officials said minor errors were found in their documents and both candidates have been given time to rectify the issues before a final decision is taken.
