Election Nomination Cancelled: Candidate Announces to Leave Country with Family

The nomination papers of Mohammad Elias Mia, independent candidate for Cox’s Bazar-3 constituency in the 13th National Parliament Election, have been rejected due to inconsistencies and irregularities in the 1% voter information requirement.

Expressing deep frustration over the decision, the candidate announced on his Facebook account that he would leave Bangladesh with his family and settle in Canada within this month. He wrote: “With my family, I will leave the country and go to Canada this month. Stay well, Bangladesh. I could not do it anymore. I am extremely tired!”

Even though the nomination has been cancelled, according to the schedule, candidates have the opportunity to appeal to the Election Commission from 5 January to 11 January. However, Elias Mia declared he would not pursue the election and said: “My nomination has been cancelled by the administration. I have decided I will not contest the election; I will go abroad. Let the country continue as it is. Slavery is the necklace around our necks.”

HM Nazrul Islam, Member Secretary of the Cox’s Bazar Citizens’ Movement, commented on the matter: “As long as the system of collecting 1% voter signatures for independent candidates continues, only members of mafia circles will have the courage and strength to contest elections. No one else will.”

District Commissioner and Returning Officer Abdul Mannan said: “A total of 23 candidates submitted nomination papers for the 4 constituencies in the district. Out of them, 18 nominations have been declared valid, while the remaining 5 rejected candidates can appeal to the Election Commission.”