42 file appeals with EC on first day

 
A total of 42 candidates filed appeals with the Election Commission (EC) on the first day of the appeal process, challenging decisions by returning officers over the scrutiny of nomination papers for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

According to regional records from the Election Building in Agargaon, the Dhaka region saw the highest number of appeals on Monday, while no appeals were submitted from Sylhet.

The EC reported the regional breakdown as follows: Rangpur - 3 appeals, Rajshahi - 5, Khulna - 3, Barisal - 1, Mymensingh - 1, Dhaka - 15, Faridpur - 7, Comilla - 5, Chittagong - 2, and Sylhet - 0. Additionally, in Comilla, one person filed an appeal against a candidate whose nomination had already been declared valid.

Candidates began submitting appeals at various booths in the Election Building from 10 am on Sunday. The EC noted that about 350 independent candidates have been excluded from the nomination process, accounting for nearly half of all rejected nominations. Approximately three-quarters of independent applicants were disqualified.

Analysis of valid and rejected papers across 300 constituencies revealed that many independent candidates were rejected due to discrepancies in verifying the support of one percent of voters in their constituencies.

The appeal process will continue until January 9, with hearings scheduled from January 10 to January 18. Candidates wishing to withdraw their nominations must do so by January 20.

Following the scrutiny, returning officers rejected the nomination papers of 723 candidates, leaving a total of 1,842 valid candidates in the race.