Staff Reporter :
A total of 234 candidates filed appeals with the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday, challenging the rejection of their nomination papers submitted for the upcoming National Elections.
BNP’s Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu, JAPA’s former Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawladar, former MP MA Karim Abbasi, Film Actor Sohel Rana and Major (Retd) Manzur Kader were, among those, who filed appeal with the EC.
After filing an appeal, BNP Organizing Secretary Dulu, whose nomination was rejected because of his conviction in two cases, said nominations of many front-ranking BNP leaders, including the party chief Begum Khaleda Zia, were declared invalid during scrutiny as part of the government’s plan to hold a lopsided election again.
“I hope to get justice from the EC despite the government’s conspiracy. If not, I will move to the court,” said Dulu, who filed his nomination to contest in the upcoming National polls from Natore-2 Constituency.
On Tuesday, the Commission arranged separate booths, on its premises, to receive petitions from rejected nominees of eight divisions.
The candidates whose nomination papers were rejected on Sunday will have the scope for filing appeals with the EC against the ROs’ decisions by Wednesday. The EC will hold hearing on December 6, 7 and 8 to dispose of the appeals, according to an EC statement.
On Monday, 84 appeals were filed with the Commission on the first day, after 786 applications to run for the upcoming general elections were turned down by Returning Officers (ROs) during scrutiny across the country on the grounds of conviction in cases, defaulted loans and non-payment of utility service bills.
They, however, accepted 2,279 nomination papers submitted by the aspirants to contest in the 11th national election scheduled for December 30.
Election Commission has revised polls schedule, deferring the 11th general election by a week to December 30.
November 28 was the deadline to submit nomination papers; December 2 was the date for scrutiny and December 9 the last date for withdrawal.
