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A total of 640 appeals have been filed with the Election Commission (EC) against returning officers’ decisions on nomination papers for the parliamentary polls.
The five-day submission period ended Friday. Hearings will begin Saturday at the commission’s Agargaon office.
Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin and four other commissioners will oversee the process.
EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed and officials from the law wing will also attend.
Md Arifur Rahman, an officer of the EC’s law wing, said hearings will be held in the commission auditorium, with at least 70 appeals scheduled on the first day. The process will continue until Jan 18.
He requested that no more than three people, including the appellant, enter the hearing room for each case.
APPEALS
More than 2,500 nomination papers were submitted for the elections by both party-affiliated and independent candidates.
Returning officers rejected 723 nominations between Dec 30 and Jan 4, leaving 1,842 valid candidates.
Appeals began Monday: 42 on the first day, 122 on Tuesday, 131 on Wednesday, 174 on Thursday, and at least 171 on Friday, totalling 640.
Most appeals seek to restore candidacy, while around a dozen request disqualification of accepted candidates.
CEC Nasir assured applicants they would receive “justice”. During a visit to an appeal centre on Thursday, he said: “We believe in justice; we will ensure justice. After the hearings, decisions will follow the law and regulations. The law applies equally to everyone and must be respected.”
According to the schedule, appeals will be resolved between Jan 10 and Jan 18. Candidates can withdraw by Jan 20. The final list of contestants and allocation of symbols will be announced on Jan 21.
Election campaigning begins Jan 22 and ends 7.30am on Feb 10. Voting for the parliamentary election, along with a referendum on the July Charter implementation, will take place on Feb 12.