EC axes two candidates, clears majority in dual-citizenship showdown

The Election Commission on Sunday wrapped up a tense round of appeal hearings, ruling on 23 candidacy challenges tied to dual citizenship ahead of the February 12 national election. 

In a day marked by suspense and political implications, the EC disqualified two contenders, put one verdict on hold, and cleared 20 others to remain in the race.

BNP candidate Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan (Cumilla-10) lost his candidacy after failing to appear before the hearing panel. Another BNP contender, former state minister Kazi Shah Mofazzel Hossain Kaikobad (Comilla-3), was granted a pause: the EC will decide his fate after verifying documents related to the renunciation of his Turkish citizenship. 

Commission insiders say his candidacy is likely to stand if the paperwork checks out.

For the rest, it was a green signal. Candidates from Jamaat, BNP, Jatiya Party, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlish, and several independents were declared eligible despite questions raised about foreign citizenship. 

The cleared list includes Jamaat’s Mohammad Nazrul Islam (Dhaka-1), BNP’s Shama Obaid (Faridpur-3), BNP’s Moniruzzaman (Satkhira-4), independent candidate Sujat Mia (Habiganj-1), and Jatiya Party’s Md Manjum Ali (Rangpur-1), among others.

Outside the dual-citizenship debate, the EC also cancelled the nomination of BNP’s Sarwar Alamgir (Chattogram-2) over loan default, widening the day’s count of disqualifications.

Sunday’s proceedings were extensive. 

The Commission heard 63 appeals in two rounds, approving 23 of them. Twenty-one were cleared following earlier cancellation of their nomination papers, while two were upheld despite challenges to their acceptance. 

Another 35 were rejected, including 16 appeals filed against accepted candidacies.

Amid the scrutiny, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin defended the process, saying the EC acted without partisan bias. He pointed to the Commission’s earlier decision to waive the one-per-cent voter signature requirement for independents as proof of its commitment to inclusivity.

“We want a participatory election. We want a fair election with everyone involved,” he said. “But that won’t happen without cooperation from all sides.”