Candidates across the country submitted their nomination papers on Monday before the 5:00 pm deadline in a calm and orderly atmosphere for the upcoming national election billed for February 12.

Most aspirants submitted their nomination papers on the final day. A total of 3,144 nomination papers were collected, while only 166 were submitted until Sunday.

No incident of violence was reported anywhere in the country in connection with the submission of nomination papers on the final day.

The Election Commission (EC) could not compile the total number of candidates who submitted nomination papers to contest from the country’s 300 constituencies until 7:50 pm on Monday.

EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed ruled out any extension of the nomination submission deadline. “The time for submission of nomination papers will not be extended anymore,” he told reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban in the afternoon.

Replying to a question, the EC Secretary the number of aspirants who submitted nomination papers to contest from the country’s 300 constituencies will be informed later.

BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s nomination paper was submitted to contest the election from Feni-1, while BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman’s nomination papers were submitted to contest from Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6 constituencies.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman’s nomination papers were filed to the returning officer concerned to contest from Dhaka-15 constituency.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir submitted the nomination paper to contest from Thakurgaon-1 constituency, while Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar submitted his nomination paper to run from Khulna-5 constituency.

The Election Commission on December 11 announced the schedule to hold the 13th parliament election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order simultaneously on February 12 next.

According to the election schedule, the deadline for the submission of nomination paper is December 29, while the scrutiny of nomination paper is on December 30-January 4 and the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is January 20.

EC Secretary rules out further extension for nomination submission

The election campaign will start on January 22 and continue till 48 hours before the balloting period (7:30am on February 10).

This time the Commission appointed 69 returning officers –two divisional commissioners (Dhaka and Chattogram), three regional election officers (Dhaka, Chattogram and Khulna) and 64 district deputy commissioners.

The collection and submission of nomination papers started on December 12, a day after the announcement of the election schedule.