Badol, Jamaat’s candidate for the Sherpur-3 parliamentary race, dies of health complications

The district’s Jamaat secretary had long been suffering from kidney disease

Md Nuruzzaman Badol, Jamaat-e-Islami’s candidate for the Sherpur-3 (Sreebordi-Jhenaigati) parliamentary race in the 13th national election, has died at the age of 52.

Badol, the secretary of the district’s Jamaat unit, had been suffering from kidney disease for a long time. He died at Mymensingh’s Sodesh Hospital at 3am on Wednesday.

Hafizur Rahman, chief of the Sherpur district Jamaat unit, said Badol was initially taken to the Sreebordi Upazila Health Complex when his health deteriorated around 10am on Tuesday. He was then admitted to Sodesh Hospital.

A pall of grief has descended on the Jamaat leaders and activists of the Sreebordi and Jhenaigati Upazilas upon news of his death.

Badol’s BNP rival, former MP Mahmudul Haque Rubel, and leaders from the NCP and other political parties have expressed their condolences over his death.

Five candidates, including Badol, had been vying for the Sherpur-3 seat. According to the rules, the election activities for the race will now be suspended.

Under the Representation of the People Order, if a valid candidate dies after the deadline for withdrawal of nomination papers has passed, the election process for the constituency must be cancelled via public notice.

The returning officer will inform the Election Commission (EC) about the death of a valid candidate and the EC will announce a new schedule for the constituency. The next steps in the election process will then be taken according to the EC’s decisions.

Those who previously submitted nomination papers will not need to resubmit them in the next round, nor will they have to make another security deposit.

In that case, elections will be held for 299 out of Bangladesh’s 300 parliamentary seats on Feb 12.