Presidential election nomination process begins

Image- Collected

Presidential election nomination process begins

The submission of nomination papers for Bangladesh’s 23rd presidential election began at 10:00 am today and will continue until 4:00 pm, with voting scheduled for August 20 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

According to the election schedule announced by the Election Commission on August 6, scrutiny of nomination papers will begin at 10:00 am on August 16 and continue until completion.

Candidates will be able to withdraw their nominations until 4:00 pm on August 18.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin will act as the returning officer for the election as required by law.

Election Commission officials said three nomination papers have so far been collected from the Chief Election Commissioner’s office.

BNP Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni and Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi collected nomination papers on August 9.

The following day, the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance collected a nomination form for Liberal Democratic Party Chairman Oli Ahmed.

There will be no regular parliamentary session on election day. However, the CEC will call a special sitting of parliament to conduct the election, according to a gazette issued yesterday.

The Election Commission has published a list of 349 lawmakers eligible to vote. MPs will cast their ballots at their designated seats using three transparent ballot boxes, without voting booths.

The voting will be broadcast live, with arrangements likely to be made for journalists.

Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned as president on July 24, after which Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad has been serving as acting president.

Under the Constitution and the President Election Act, 1991, the Election Commission must hold a presidential election within 90 days of a vacancy.