EC suspends Nangalkot upazila polls following legal dispute over candidature
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High Court ordered the candidate’s nomination valid earlier
The Election Commission (EC) has suspended the Nangalkot Upazila Parishad election in Comilla following a legal dispute over the nomination of a candidate.
The Election Commission issued the order signed by Deputy Secretary Md Atiar Rahman on Monday.
Comilla Senior Election Officer Munir Hossain Khan confirmed the matter.
According to Election Commission sources, the nomination paper of Saleha Begum, a candidate for the post of female vice-chairman in the Nangalkot Upazila Parishad election, was cancelled following some scrutiny.
Saleha Begum filed a writ petition with the High Court on April 25 in this regard, and the court declared her nomination paper valid. It also ordered authorities to allocate her a symbol for the election.
The Election Commission later appealed to the Appellate Division against the High Court order. Hence, it has postponed the Nangalkot Upazila Parishad election till receiving an order from the top court.
The nomination paper of Saleha Begum was cancelled as she submitted it for the post of female vice-chairman without resigning from the post of member of Peria Union Parishad of Nangalkot upazila.
In this regard, Saleha Begum said: "I had filed a writ in the High Court to get back my candidature. However, I have not yet resigned from the post of UP member.”
In Nangalkot upazila, three candidates are contesting for the chairman post, four for the male vice-chairman post, and three for the female vice-chairman post.
Meanwhile, a total of 418 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed for the first phase of the Upazila Parishad polls, scheduled for Wednesday.
BGB Public Relations Officer Md Shariful Islam confirmed the matter on Tuesday.
The Upazila Parishad election will proceed in four phases, with 151 upazilas in the first phase on Wednesday.
Of the upazilas, elections to 22 upazilas will be held through electronic voting machines (EVMs) and 130 on ballot papers.
The second phase will be held on May 23, the third phase on May 29, and the fourth phase on June 5.