United News of Bangladesh

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has begun closely examining the election affidavits of all candidates participating in the 13th national parliamentary election, ACC Chairman Dr Mohammad Abdul Momen said on Monday (January 05, 2026). “The asset declarations submitted by the candidates would be thoroughly scrutinised to identify any inconsistencies or suspicious information,” he said while addressing a views-exchange meeting with the newly elected committee of Reporters Against Corruption (RAC) at the ACC headquarters in the capital as the chief guest. Dr Momen said the commission would independently scrutinise candidates’ affidavits, request the Election Commission to flag any suspicious assets, and, if necessary, prioritise this task over other activities. He also urged journalists to play an active role by analysing and verifying affidavit information and bringing credible findings to public attention. No election campaign before symbol allocation: EC to parities Responding to a question about the newly-enacted law, Dr Momen reiterated the ACC’s zero-tolerance stance against corruption. “Our position is very clear—there will be no compromise with corruption. If any provision in the new law suggests compromise, we will maintain our previous stance and, if necessary, discuss the matter with the government,” he said. Speaking at the meeting, ACC Commissioner (Investigation) Mia Muhammad Ali Akbar Azizi said the commission would assist judges by presenting strong and credible evidence to prove corruption cases. Under the law, he said, the ACC has the authority to take into cognisance verified information published in newspapers and urged journalists to ensure their reports are fact-based and properly verified rather than based on hearsay. ACC Commissioner (Investigation) Brigadier General (retd) Hafiz Ahsan Farid said the ACC and RAC are closely intertwined in the fight against corruption. “If RAC closes its eyes for a day, the ACC will become blind for a week,” he said, adding that RAC’s credibility is not only its own honour but also the honour of the ACC. Election disruption attempts to be met with iron hand: Home Adviser The meeting began with a welcome address by ACC Secretary Mohammad Khaled Rahim. RAC President Shafi Uddin Ahmed and General Secretary Tabarul Haque spoke on behalf of the organisation, pledging to work as partners of the ACC in anti-corruption efforts. Former RAC President Alauddin Arif also addressed the meeting. The event, moderated by ACC Director General (Prevention) Md Akhtar Hossain, was attended, among others, by senior ACC officials, members of the newly elected RAC executive committee and other RAC members.

Reassuring stakeholders about the integrity of the upcoming polls, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on Monday said the Election Commission is prepared to ensure a free and fair election, citing an improved and supportive electoral environment. “The election environment is good. We believe we will be able to conduct a free and fair election,” the CEC told reporters after inspecting 10 booths installed on the premises of the Election Commission in the city's Agargaon area. The booths have been set up to receive appeals from aggrieved aspirants against the decisions of returning officers. A five-day scrutiny process of the nomination papers ended on Sunday ahead of the 13th parliamentary election scheduled to be held on February 12 next. During the scrutiny, the returning officers declared a total of 1842 nomination papers valid, while rejected 723 other nomination papers in the country's 300 constituencies. Now the aggrieved aspirants can file appeal petitions with the Election Commission from Monday to January 9, challenging the decisions of the returning officers over acceptance or rejection of the nomination papers.  The Commission will hear and dispose of the petitions from January 10 to 18. Law and order to improve ahead of election, hopes CEC Nasir The Election Commission on December 12 last declared the schedule to arrange the 13th national election and the referendum on July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order simultaneously on February 12, 2026. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature is January 20. The election campaign will start on January 22 and continue till 48 hours before the balloting period (7:30am on February 10).  

The Election Commission has issued seven instructions to file an appeal, challenging the decision of the returning officer concerned over the acceptance or rejection of a nomination paper during the security. Besides, the Commission has decided to set up 10 booths at Nirbachan Bhaban to receive the appeals from 10 regions (eight divisions and Cumilla and Faridpur regions) from January 05 to 09. The EC has recently sent a letter to returning officers, asking them to widely disseminate the instructions among aspirants and their representatives. According to the instructions, appeals must be submitted in the form of a memorandum addressed to the Election Commission using the prescribed format. Read more: 13 Nominations valid, 8 rejected, 4 suspended in Jhalokathi At the time of filing an appeal, candidates must mention the date of acceptance or rejection of the nomination, clearly state the grounds of appeal and submit an attested copy of the returning officer’s order. The appeal must be submitted in a total of seven copies, including one original. Candidates shall submit the appeals at the designated booths set up at the Election Commission Secretariat, based on their respective electoral regions. The appeals will be accepted from January 5 to January 9, 2026. To obtain a copy of the appellate authority’s verdict, candidates must submit an application using a prescribed form, which will be available at the central appeal booths of the Election Commission. The appellant or a duly authorised representative will be allowed to collect the verdict copy. The Commission will settle the appeals by January 18 next. The scrutiny of nomination papers started on December 30 and is set to be concluded on Sunday (January 04). Read more:Jamaat candidate’s nomination cancelled in Cumilla-3 The Election Commission on December 12 last declared the schedule to arrange the 13th national election and the referendum on July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order simultaneously on February 12, 2026. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature is January 20. The election campaign will start on January 22 and continue till 48 hours before the balloting period (7:30am on February 10).

The nomination paper of Tasnim Jara, an independent candidate and former leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP), for the Dhaka-9 constituency was cancelled on Saturday (January 03, 2026). Dhaka’s Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Md Rezaul Karim announced the decision around 11:30am. Read more: Tasnim Jara quits NCP; to contest as independent candidate Talking to reporters, Jara said she would file an appeal with the Election Commission (EC) challenging the cancellation. “The nomination paper I submitted as an independent candidate for Dhaka-9 has not been accepted at this stage. However, we will appeal. I have already started the appeal process,” Jara told journalists at the Divisional Commissioner’s office in city's Segunbagicha. Explaining the grounds for the cancellation, Jara said her nomination was rejected due to discrepancies involving the voter information of two signatories among the required one percent of voters’ signatures for independent candidates. “One voter lives in Khilgaon. Since Khilgaon falls under both Dhaka-9 and Dhaka-11, he was unaware that he was not a voter of Dhaka-9, and there was no way for him to know. He checked the website but could not find his voter number. Based on his NID, he believed he was a Dhaka-9 voter and signed accordingly,” she said Tasnim Jara declares assets worth Tk 19 lakh, annual income Tk 7 lakh In the second case, she said, the address mentioned on the voter’s NID hard copy indicated Dhaka-9, leading the person to believe he was a voter of the constituency. “However, according to Election Commission records, he is not a Dhaka-9 voter, which again was beyond his knowledge,” she said. Describing the cancellation as a challenge in her electoral journey, Jara said she is prepared to face it through the legal process.

The aspirants from 51 out of 59 registered political parties, along with hundreds of independent candidates, submitted nominations to contest the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election, according to the data compiled by the Election Commission. Among the parties, the highest 331 aspirants from Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) submitted nomination papers (multiple candidates in some constituencies) to run the election scheduled for February 12, 2026. Besides, 276 aspirants from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, 268 from Islami Andolon Bangladesh, 224 from Jatiya Party (JaPa), 104 from Gano Odhikar Parishad, 94 from Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, 65 from Communist Party of Bangladesh CPB), 53 aspirants from AB Party, 44 from National Citizen Party-NCP, 42 from Insaniat Bangladesh and 41 aspirants from Basod. The other political parties who joined the race have less than 40 aspirants each. Read more: Bangladesh Polls: Registration time for postal voting extended till Jan 5 Several registered parties, including Samyabadi Dal (ML), Krishak Sramik Janata League, NAP, Workers Party, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, Trinamool BNP and BNM have no aspirants in the election. A total of 2,569 aspirants, including 478 independent candidates, filed nomination papers in the country's 300 constituencies. The Election Commission is now scrutinising the nomination papers before finalising the list of valid candidates for the polls. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on December 11 last announced the schedule to arrange the 13th parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order simultaneously on February 12 next. Read more: Election season kicks off in Bangladesh; 2,582 candidates submitted nomination papers According to the election schedule, the deadline for the submission of nomination papers was December 29, while the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is January 20. The election campaign will start on January 22 and continue till 48 hours before the balloting period (7:30am on February 10). The time for the scrutiny of nomination papers is on December 30-January 4, while the appeals against the decisions of the returning officers can be filed from January 5 to 9 and the appeals will be settled from January 10 to 18.

A total of 166 nomination papers have been submitted as of 5:00pm on Sunday, while 3,144 nomination papers were collected nationwide, according to the Election Commission’s (EC) Central Coordination Committee, formed ahead of the upcoming national election. The EC has set the deadline for submission of nomination papers at 5:00pm on Monday (December 29, 2025). Ahead of the polls, the commission has divided the country into ten electoral regions: Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, Faridpur, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Cumilla, and Chattogram. According to EC statistics, Dhaka recorded the highest number of collected nomination papers at 596, but only 22 were submitted by Sunday. No approval needed for repair, renovation of polling stations: EC Rangpur saw the lowest submission rate, with only six papers filed out of 258 collected. Cumilla came second in terms of collection, with 462 nomination papers, while 28 were submitted by Sunday evening. Other regions reported the following figures for collected nominations: Rajshahi 305, Khulna 347, Barishal 182, Faridpur 155, Mymensingh 383, Sylhet 169, and Chattogram 287. The EC on December 11 last announced the schedule to arrange the 13th parliamentary 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 papers is December 29, while the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is January 20. The election campaign will start on January 22 and continue till 48 hours before the balloting period (7:30am on February 10). Strengthen cyber security ahead of election: Prof Yunus Regarding the submission of dependents’ tax information, the EC clarified that providing the income tax information of an aspirant's spouse, children and dependents in the nomination form would be considered as optional. The EC issued the clarification in a letter sent to 69 returning officers, including two divisional commissioners, three regional election officers, and 64 district deputy commissioners, hours after a demand for clarification from BNP.

With the deadline for submitting nomination papers for the upcoming national election falling on Monday, nearly 99 percent of aspirants who collected the forms have yet to file them as they are waiting for the last day. “A total of 2,780 nomination papers were collected to contest the election from the country’s 300 constituencies and only 31 papers were submitted till 2:30pm on Sunday,” said Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Sunday evening. The deadline for the submission of nomination papers will expire at 5:00pm on Monday (December 29, 2025), said EC officials. Read more: National Election: Only 166 nominations filed out of 3,144 till Sunday; deadline Monday Md Yunus Ali, the returning officer for Dhaka-13 and Dhaka-15 constituencies, said a total of 29 nomination papers were collected in the two constituencies, but only three papers were submitted till Sunday. “Most of the nomination papers will be submitted tomorrow (the last day),” he said. The EC on December 11 last announced the schedule to arrange the 13th parliamentary 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 papers is December 29, while the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is January 20. The election campaign will start on January 22 and continue till 48 hours before the balloting period (7:30am on February 10). Submission of Dependents’ Tax Information Optional The Election Commission on Sunday clarified that providing the income tax information of an aspirant's spouse, children and dependents in the nomination form would be considered as optional. The EC issued the clarification in a letter sent to 69 returning officers, including two divisional commissioners, three regional election officers, and 64 district deputy commissioners, hours after a demand for clarification from BNP. “Regarding income tax information in serial 10 of the affidavit: providing the income tax related information of the spouse, children, and dependents mentioned in columns 2, 3, and 4 of the income tax return section shall be considered optional,” the commission said in the letter. Read more: No approval needed for repair, renovation of polling stations: EC The Commission, however, said the statement of the sources of income, assets, and liabilities of fully dependent family members, which are mentioned in the serials 6 and 7 of the affidavit, must be submitted as this requirement is in accordance with the Clause 12(3)(ka)(c) of the Representation of the People Order (RPO), 1972. The clarification came after a three-member delegation of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, met Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on Sunday to raise concerns about the provision. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Nazrul Islam Khan said although the Representation of the People Order (RPO) does not mention children, the nomination form requires aspirants to submit income tax details of their children, which has created widespread confusion. “There is a question everywhere because many candidates’ children are not dependent on them. Many are self-earning, some live abroad, and many pay taxes independently. This has created complexity, which is why we wrote to the Election Commission and also discussed the matter today,” he said. Tarique, Ziama in Voter List Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Sunday incorporated BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and his daughter Zaima Rahman in the country’s voter list to be used in the February-12 election. “They (Tarique Rahman and Zaima Rahman) have been included in the voter list that will be used in the February-12 elections,” EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told UNB on Sunday evening. Earlier in the day, the Commission approved the inclusion of their names in the electoral rolls, a day after Tarique Rahman and his daughter Zaima Rahman completed the necessary process for National Identity Card (NID) registration and voter enlistment. Read more: Providing dependents’ income tax info in nomination form optional: EC They went to the Election Commission’s National Identity office in the city to complete their NID registration and enlist them as a voter. Their biometric data and photographs were taken in the NID office. Besides, the Election Commission asked the Home Ministry to recover illegal arms, prepare level-playing field, provide security to election offices and materials, containing misinformation and disinformation. “In order to conduct the elections in a fair and peaceful manner, it is necessary to recover illegal arms from the electoral area; maintain communal harmony and provide security to minorities; plan for the deployment of law and order forces; formulate an advance budget for the deployment of law and order forces; control illegal infiltrators and prepare a level playing field for the elections; provide security for postal ballot transportation and storage sites; prevent the spread of misinformation and disinformation; and provide clearance and security for foreign observers and journalists on the occasion of their arrival in Bangladesh,” says the letter sent on Saturday. the letter, the EC also drew attention to take necessary measures to ensure security in the transportation, storage and distribution of election materials, take effective measures to ensure the security of the office of the Returning Officer and all field-level election-related departments, and plan to deploy law enforcement forces at polling stations on election day and in the election area a few days before the election to maintain overall peace and order. Besides, the EC also sent letters to the Cabinet Division, the Foreign Ministry, the Local Government Division, the Information and Broadcasting, the Posts and Telecommunications Division and the Cultural Affairs Ministry asking them to take necessary measures on different election activities. Read more: Asif Mahmud picks up nomination paper for Cumilla-3

The Election Commission will decide on the inclusion of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and his daughter Zaima Rahman in the national voter list, which will be used for the upcoming general election and the referendum scheduled for February 12, 2026. “Their names will be placed before the commission tomorrow (Sunday). If the Commission approves, then they will be included in the voter list to be used in the February-12 election,” said EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed. He was briefing reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban after Tarique Rahman and Zaima Rahman completed the national identity and voter registration process at the EC’s NID office in the Electoral Training Institute. The EC Secretary said they were allowed to complete the registration process as the EC has authority to enroll eligible in the voter list as per the Electoral Rolls Act 2009. Tarique, Zaima complete NID and voter registration “They’ve completed the registration process…But it takes time to process the application. I believe, it will be completed by today and then they will get their NID Numbers,” he said. Then the issue will be placed on Sunday for the approval from the commission to include them in the country's voter list to be used in the upcoming parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order.    

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman arrived at the Election Commission’s National Identity Wing in the city’s Agargaon area on Saturday (December 27, 2025) to complete his National Identity Card (NID) registration and enlist himself as a voter. He reached the National Identity Wing office, located at the Electoral Training Institute, at 1pm. As part of the registration process, Tarique Rahman will provide biometric data and submit the required documents. Tarique Rahman leaves home to visit Osman Hadi’s grave at Dhaka University Earlier, his daughter Zaima Rahman along with her mother Zubaida Rahman arrived at the same office at around 12:26 pm. After completing the necessary formalities, they left the office at around 12:45 pm, before Tarique’s arrival. According to BNP sources, Tarique, Zubaida and Zaima have already completed the online voter registration form. They are supposed to be registered as voters in the Dhaka-17 constituency under DNCC Ward No. 19 in the Gulshan area, using the address of House No. 196, Gulshan-2. Earlier in the day, Tarique offered fateha at the grave of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inquilab Moncho, who died a week after being shot on December 12. Tarique offers fateha at Hadi’s grave Accompanied by senior BNP leaders, Tarique first placed a wreath at Hadi’s grave at around 11:30 am, paying tribute to the July uprising activist. He later offered fateha and joined a munajat, seeking the salvation of Hadi’s departed soul. The munajat was conducted by Abu Bakar Siddique, the elder brother of Sharif Osman Hadi. Tarique and his party colleagues also placed a wreath at the grave of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, near the Dhaka University Central Mosque. They also joined a munajat there as well. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed, Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Niaz Ahmed Khan, among others, were present. Members of the police, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed across the Shahbagh and Dhaka University areas to maintain security. Tarique left his Gulshan Avenue residence at around 10:40 am in a white bulletproof SUV and reached the Dhaka University campus at around 11:15 am under tight security. From the Election Commission, he is scheduled to visit Mahbub Bhaban in Dhanmondi, the residence of his father-in-law. He will then go to Evercare Hospital to visit his ailing mother. Read more: Tarique visits National Martyrs’ Memorial, pays homage to martyrs Tarique was earlier scheduled to visit the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), popularly known as Pangu Hospital, to meet those injured during the July 2024 mass uprising. However, the programme has been cancelled. In a Facebook post on Saturday morning, BNP’s Media Cell said Tarique would not visit Pangu Hospital as there are no injured victims of the July mass uprising. Sharif Osman Hadi, a leader of Inquilab Moncho and a prospective candidate for Dhaka-8, was shot in the head on December 12 while travelling in a rickshaw on Culvert Road in Puratan Paltan. The incident occurred a day after the Election Commission announced February 12 as the date for the next national election. For advanced treatment, Hadi was airlifted to Singapore, where he died from his injuries on the night of December 18. He was laid to rest beside the grave of Kazi Nazrul Islam on December 20. Aged 32, Hadi was a prominent figure in the July 2024 uprising and served as the spokesperson of Inquilab Moncho. Read more: Inqilab Moncho shifts blockade from Shahbagh ahead of Tarique’s visit Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh on Thursday morning after nearly 17 years abroad. His return has drawn widespread attention and strong emotions among BNP leaders, activists and supporters across the country. He was greeted with a large and jubilant reception, with party leaders describing his homecoming as historic.

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has left Gulshan residence to visit the grave of Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi. The information was shared shortly after 10:45am on Saturday through a post on BNP’s verified Facebook page. After offering prayers, Tarique Rahman is scheduled to visit the Election Commission office to complete National Identity Card (NID) registration and enlist himself as a voter. Inqilab Moncho shifts blockade from Shahbagh ahead of Tarique’s visit He will later go to  his father-in-law’s house in Dhanmondi. From Dhanmondi, he will go to Evercare hospital to visit his ailing mother. He was supposed to visit National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), popularly known as Pangu Hospital, to meet those injured during the July 2024 mass uprising, but the programme was cancelled. In a separate Facebook post, BNP’s media cell said Tarique Rahman will not visit Pangu Hospital as there are no injured persons from the July mass uprising receiving treatment there. Tarique Rahman returned to the country on Thursday after 17 years in exile in London. Read more: Tarique arrives at EC’s NID wing to register as voter