Commenting on complaints from some candidates regarding the ongoing appeal process after the cancellation of their nomination forms for the upcoming elections, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Thursday said the Election Commission believes in justice and that everyone will receive fair treatment from the commission.
Responding to concerns from various parties about a level playing field in the election, he said that during the nomination submission period, the commission had not received any reports of violence anywhere in the country.
He made the remarks at the Election Commission Secretariat premises in Agargaon, Dhaka, while responding to journalists’ questions after inspecting the booths handling ongoing appeals against nomination cancellations and acceptances.
When asked about political parties’ claims that a level playing field has not been ensured and law and order has not yet improved, the CEC said, “They may say that; you can see for yourselves.”
Nasir Uddin noted that unlike in the past, when nomination submission days often saw violence and chaotic situations, this time the process went smoothly. “We have not received any reports of fights or violence during nomination submission anywhere. This is a positive development,” he said.
Thursday marked the fourth day of appeal submissions. Since morning, aggrieved applicants from across the country have been visiting the Election Commission to either retrieve their nominations or challenge the validity of rival candidates.
The appeal submission window will remain open until January 9, with hearings scheduled from January 10 to January 18. Over the past three days, a total of 295 appeal applications have been submitted.