At least 33 ruling Awami League candidates, six of them are ministers, are likely to be elected unopposed in the 10th parliamentary elections as they emerged single candidates for the constituencies after the scrutiny of nomination papers that ended on Friday.
During the scrutiny that began on Thursday, the Election Commission cancelled candidature of 260 candidates keeping 847 valid for the polls scheduled for January 5, according to the commission’s draft list of valid candidates.
Commission officials said that the number of candidates to be elected unopposed could increase after the withdrawal of candidature on December 13.
The six ministers elected unopposed are Syed Ashraful Islam for the Kishoreganj 1 constituency, Abul Mal Abdul Muhith for the Sylhet 1 constituency, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain for the Faridpur 3 constituency, Tofail Ahmed for the Bhola 1 constituency, Obaidul Quader for the Noakhali 5 constituency and Hasan Mahmud for the Chittagong 7 constituency.
Immediate-past ministers Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir contesting for the Chandpur 1 constituency, Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju for the Narsingdi 5 constituency and Dipu Moni for the Chandpur 3 constituency remained single candidates for the constituencies and another immediate-past minister Suranjit Sengupta also emerged the single candidate for the Sunamganj 2 as his rival candidate, Jatiya Party’s Jamil Chowdhury, had withdrawn his candidature.
The other candidates who emerged single contestants after the scrutiny are HN Ashiqur Rahman for the Rangpur 5 constituency, Nuruzzaman Ahmed for the Lalmonirhat 2 constituency, Omar Faruk Chowdhury for the Rajshahi 1 constituency, Enamul Haque for the Rajshahi 4 constituency, Abul Kalam for he Natore 1 constituency, Shafiqul Islam Shimul for the Natore 2 constituency, Zunayed Ahmed Palak for the Natore 3 constituency, Md Ishaq Hossain Talukder for the Sirajganj 3 constituency, Mrinal Kanti Das for the Munshiganj 3 constituency, Sheikh Helal Uddin for the Bagerhat 1 constituency, Mir Shawkat Ali Badsha for the Bagerhat 2 constituency, AKMA Awal (Saidur Rahman) for the Pirojpur 1 constituency, Amanur Rahman Khan Rana for the Tangail 3 constituency, Rezwan Ahammed Toufique for the Kishoreganj 4 constituency, Mamtaz Begum for the Manikganj 2 constituency, Zahid Ahsan Rasel for the Gazipur 2 constituency, Abdur Rahman for the Faridpur 1 constituency, Morshed Alam for the Noakhali 2 constituency, Md Abdus Shahid for the Moulvibazar 4 constituency, Md Ali Ashraf for the Comilla 7 constituency, AHM Mostafa Kamal for the Comilla 10 constituency, Nizam Uddin Hazari for the Feni 2 constituency and Sheikh Afil Uddin for the Jessore 1 constituency. They are all from the Awami League.
There has been no valid candidate for the Lakshmipur 3 constituency as the commission invalidated the nomination of both the candidates, including the one from the Awami League.
Article 19(1) of the Representation of the People Order 1972 stipulates that where, after scrutiny under Article 14, only one person remains as a validly nominated candidate for election as a member from a constituency or where after withdrawal under Article 16 only one person is left as a contesting candidate, the returning officer will, by public notice, declare such candidate to be elected to the seat. The article also says that if, after scrutiny, any candidate indicates that he intends to make an appeal under Clause 5 of Article 14 against the rejection of his nomination paper, no person will be declared elected uncontested until the period prescribed for filling such appeal has expired and no such appeal has been filed for, where an appeal is filed, until the disposal of such appeal.
The nominations of 847 candidates remained valid after the scrutiny as the returning officers cancelled nominations of 260 candidates. The candidates whose nominations were cancelled in the scrutiny would be able to file an appeal against the returning officer’s decision by December 9.
A total of 1,107 candidates from 20 political parties, mostly belonging to the Awami League-led ruling alliance, submitted nomination papers for the 10th parliamentary elections with most of the political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led opposition alliance, boycotting the polls.
The validly nominated candidates could withdraw their nomination by December 13 and the commission will then allocate the symbol among the candidates on December 14, the day when the candidates will be able to begin electioneering.
-With New Age input
