3,056 nomination papers filed amid festivity, irregularities

The election officials received 3,056 nomination papers for the 300 electoral constituencies for the 11th parliamentary elections scheduled for December 30 as the deadline for filing nominations expired Wednesday.
The nomination papers were filed with festivity and amidst violations of electoral code of conduct across the country.
New Age correspondents in districts reported that supporters and activists of both ruling Awami League and the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party engaged in intra-party and inter-party clashes and other activities of violation of the electoral code.
At a press conference at the Election Commission headquarters in Dhaka, commission secretary Helaluddin Ahmed, however, said that no complaint of violation electoral code of conduct was filed with the commission.
He said that 3,056 nomination papers — 361 in Rangpur, 353 in Rajshahi, 351 in Khulna, 182 in Barishal, 236 in Mymensingh, 708 in Dhaka, 177 in Sylhet and 688 in Chattogram divisions — were received by the election officials. 
Besides, 23 nomination papers were submitted online and the figure was not

added to the total number of filed nominations as the officials suspected that those candidates might have filed nomination papers manually as well, he said. 
He said that said highest 27 nomination papers were submitted for Dhaka 17 and lowest four nomination papers were submitted for Magura 2 constituency.
Aspirants in many districts went to the returning officers’ offices in procession violating the Electoral Code of Conduct.
The commission had asked the aspirants not to bring more than five supporters with them while filing nomination papers to the returning officers and assistant returning officers and not to hold any procession or gathering during at fater the filing of nominations.
Many were seen going Dhaka Divisional Commissioner’s office in processions to submit nomination papers.
Many Awami League candidates violated the electoral code bringing more than five people with them while filing nomination papers. Two AL candidates were accompanied by motor bikes.
Some BNP and Gono Forum candidates also went to the office with more than five people. 
Asked about bringing 22 associates with him, AL lawmaker Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said that he was not aware of the restriction.
‘They accompanied me as they are leaders of different wards in my constituency,’ he said, adding that he had done anything that could be termed as violation of code conduct.
Most of the leaders of the major political parties submitted their nomination papers with festivity on the last date of the filing on Wednesday.
Jailed BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s nomination papers were submitted for Bogura 6, Bogura 7 and Feni 1 while the party’s alternative candidates also submitted nomination papers for the three seats as per a party decision fearing that Khaleda’s nominations might be cancelled. 
Bogura district BNP president Saiful Islam on behalf Khaleda submitted her nomination papers for Bogura 6. 
The nomination papers of Awami League president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina was filed by central leaders for Gopalganj 3 and Rangpur 6 on Tuesday.
AL general secretary Obaidul Quader submitted his nomination papers for Noakhali 1 on Tuesday.
Workers Party of Bangladesh president and social welfare minister Rashed Khan Menon field nomination papers at Segunbachia in Dhaka as an AL-led alliance candidate for Dhaka 8, home minster Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal filed nomination papers for Dhaka 12, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal president and information minister Hasanul Haq Inu field nomination papers as an AL-led alliance candidate for Kushtia 2.
Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad filed nomination papers for Dhaka 17 and Rangpur 3 on Wednesday.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir submitted nomination paper for Thakurgaon 1. His nomination paper was also submitted for Bogura 6 along with Khaleda’s nomination papers. 
BNP chairperson’s advisory council member AKM Mahbubur Rahman and former Bogura district BNP president Rezaul Karim Badsha submitted nomination papers as alternative candidate for the seat, reported New Age correspondent in Bogura.
Gabtoli upazila BNP general secretary Morshed Milton and Shajahanpur upzila chairman Sarker Badal submitted nomination papers for Bogura 7 seat as alternative to Khaleda.
New Age correspondent in Feni reported that nomination paper of Khaleda for Feni 1 was submitted by BNP national executive committee member Rehana Akter Ranu. 
Besides Dhaka city south unit Juba Dal president Rafiqul Alam Majnu and BNP Chhagalnaiya upazila unit president Nur Ahmad Majumdar submitted nomination papers for Feni 1 as Khaleda’s alternative.
BNP chairperson’s adviser Joynal Abedin told journalists that the party instructed to submit nomination papers by two more candidates for Feni 1.
Gono Forum president Dr Kamal Hossain, also the Jatiya Oikya front chief, did not file any nomination paper as he would not participate in the polls, said Gono Forum executive president Subrata Chowdhury.
BNP vice-chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo who got nomination certificates for Feni 1 and Feni 3 and joint secretary general Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal who got nomination letter for Barishal 2 did not submit nomination papers, said BNP chairperson’s press wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan.
BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan was made chief of electioneering committee of the party.
Awami League-led alliance candidate Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal faction general secretary Shirin Akter submitted nomination papers for Feni 1. Feni district Awami League vice-president Khairul Bashar Majumdar and AL leader Sheikh Abdullah submitted nomination papers for in Feni 1.
At the final stage of filing of nomination papers, the Awami League cancelled nominations for disaster management minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya and Mohammed Shamsul Haque Bhuiyan of Chandpur as both were found to be loan defaulters.

Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon files nomination to vie for Dhaka 8 constituency to Dhaka divisional commissioner KM Ali Azam in the latter’s office on Wednesday. — New Age photo

AL’s Dhaka city (south) unit vice-president Nurul Amin Ruhul replaced Maya in Chandpur 2 while Jatiya Press Club president Muhammad Shafiqur Rahman replaced Shamsul Haque in Chandpur 4.
BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a briefing at the party’s central office in the evening alleged that law enforcement agencies arrested BNP candidates and ruling Awami League activists attacked its candidates during submission of nomination papers.
The Awami League is likely to announce its list of candidature in all 300 seats on the last day for withdrawal of nomination papers, December 9.
AL general secretary Obaidul Quader at a press conference at the office of the party president said, ‘We will try to finalise the party and alliance nominations in 300 seats after the scrutiny of the nomination forms and if not possible then we will do it by the December 9 deadline for the withdrawal of candidature.’
Awami League and Jatiya Party leaders and activists held protests in Patuakhali and Khagrachari on Wednesday for nominations for their favourites changing the party candidates in two constituencies.
At least 12 BNP leaders and activists were injured as two groups of the party clashed in Munshiganj and Barishal over filing of nomination papers.
The clashes broke out outside the assistant returning officer’s office at Tongibari in Munshiganj and on the premises of returning officer’s office in Barishal.
According to the Election Commission secretariat, the number of nomination papers submitted was 11,007 for January 5, 2014 elections, 2,460 in December 2008 elections, 2,563 in October 2001 elections, 3,093 in June 1996 elections and 3,855 in 1991 elections.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir submits his nomination to contest for Thakurgaon 1 constituency to deputy commissioner and district returning officer KM Kamruzzaman in the latter’s office on Wednesday. — Focus Bangla photo

 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net