EC Restores 417 Candidates; Total Valid Contenders Reach 2,253

The Election Commission (EC) concluded its appeal hearings on Sunday, restoring the candidacy of 417 individuals for the upcoming national election. With these additions, the total number of valid candidates now stands at 2,253.

During the final day of hearings at the Election Building in Agargaon, the commission—chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin—scrapped the nominations of six candidates who were previously declared valid.

Revised Timeline and Statistics Total Filed: ~2,500 nominations across 300 constituencies. Initially Valid: 1,842 candidates (after scrutiny between Dec 30 and Jan 4). Appeals Filed: 645 petitions. Candidacy Restored: 417 appellants (a record high compared to previous elections).

CEC Nasir Uddin noted that the commission relaxed certain requirements, such as the 1% voter signature rule for independent candidates, to ensure a more inclusive and participatory election.

Candidates have until January 20 to withdraw their nominations. The final list of contenders will be published shortly after, with electoral symbols allocated on January 21. Voting is scheduled for February 12, held concurrently with a national referendum.

Exceptions remain for the Pabna-1 and Pabna-2 constituencies. Due to a revised timetable following an Appellate Division order, nomination papers for these seats were filed on Sunday. Seven nominations were submitted in Pabna-1 and five in Pabna-2; these will be scrutinized separately.

The Election Commission (EC) confirmed that 417 out of 645 appellants regained their candidacy, a significantly higher number than the 286 restored during the 12th parliamentary election. The total number of valid candidates is currently 2,253, pending final withdrawals on January 20.