Published : 22 Apr 2026, 10:42 PM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:38 PM
The Election Commission (EC) has declared the nomination papers of 12 candidates from the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance valid for the women's reserved seats.
The candidacy of Monira Sharmin, joint convenor of the National Citizen Party (NCP), has been put on hold pending further documentation.
A final decision regarding her nomination will be announced on Thursday.
Returning Officer Moin Uddin Khan, also a joint secretary of the EC, scrutinised the papers of the Jamaat-led alliance at the Election Bhaban in Agargaon on Wednesday.
"We examined 13 nominations. While 12 were found valid, one remains pending. The candidate has been given until [Thursday] noon to submit necessary documents," Khan told reporters.
Out of the 13 seats, Jamaat received 9 seats, while the NCP got 2, and both Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis and Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (JAGPA) received 1 seat each.
The broader landscape for the reserved seats includes 36 candidates from the BNP-led alliance, 13 from the Jamaat alliance, and one from an independent bloc.
Three additional individuals have filed nominations independently.
The nomination of NCP’s Monira hit a snag due to legal provisions regarding government service.
Under Article 12(1)(f) of the Representation of the People Order (RPO), a person is disqualified from the polls if less than three years have passed since their resignation or retirement from a government or statutory position.
Records show Monira joined Bangladesh Krishi Bank in November 2023 and resigned only four months ago, in December.
"The documents she submitted mention a government pay scale. We have asked her to provide a defence or clarifying documents by Thursday noon," the returning officer added.
Scrutiny for the 36 candidates of the BNP-led alliance is scheduled for Thursday.
