Naogaon-2 independent candidate Aminul Haque dies

Aminul Haque, an independent candidate for the Naogaon-2 seat, has died eight days before the national elections.

The 75-year-old passed away on Friday while receiving treatment at Dhaka's United Hospital, according to Golam Mawla, the returning officer in Naogaon.

Haque, a former mayor of Najipur municipality in Patnitala Upazila, won back his candidacy through a High Court appeal after the Election Commission rejected his nomination papers. He was allocated the eagle symbol on Thursday, only to pass away the following day, reports bdnews24.com.

With his death, the election for the Naogaon-2 seat will now be postponed. The Election Commission will announce a new schedule for the constituency, allowing existing candidates to continue without re-submitting nomination papers and providing an opportunity for new candidates to enter the race.

Haque, who had served as the general secretary of the Patnitala Upazila Awami League unit, sought the ruling party's ticket for the polls. After failing to secure nomination from the party, he chose to run as an independent candidate.

His nomination was initially cancelled by the returning officer, a decision which was upheld by the Election Commission. Haque then successfully challenged the decision in the High Court, which validated his candidacy on Wednesday.

Haque had been in Dhaka to pursue his legal case when he fell ill and was admitted to United Hospital on Tuesday night.

According to relatives, he suffered from a combination of diabetes and heart disease, compounded by other age-related ailments.

Haque's body will be taken to his ancestral home in Naogaon's Najipur on Friday afternoon, and will be buried in his family graveyard in the evening.

In addition to Haque, three other candidates were vying for the Naogaon-2 seat -- Awami League's incumbent MP Shahiduzzaman Sarkar, Jatiya Party's Tofazzal Hossain, and Akhtarul Islam, another ruling party leader running as an independent.