Good news for 20 candidates in dual citizenship dilemma, check the party-wise breakdown

The Election Commission (EC) has adopted a flexible stance regarding candidates facing complications over dual citizenship for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. The Commission has declared the nomination papers of those who have formally applied to renounce their foreign citizenship and paid the prescribed fees as valid.

This decision was reached on Sunday (January 18) during the hearing sessions to finalize the candidacies. This lenient move has cleared the path for several prominent political figures to participate in the upcoming polls.

The Breakdown of Decisions

According to the investigation, the EC reviewed the nomination papers of 23 candidates facing dual citizenship issues. The final outcome is as follows:

• Valid: 20 candidates (cleared after providing proof of renunciation applications).

• Canceled: 02 candidates (due to failure to meet requirements).

• Stayed: 01 candidate (pending further verification).

Key Decisions: BNP and Other Parties

The Commission canceled the nomination of Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan, the BNP candidate for Cumilla-10, as he failed to appear for the hearing. Conversely, the decision on Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad, the BNP candidate for Cumilla-3, has been stayed. The EC is currently verifying his application to renounce Turkish citizenship. However, sources suggest his candidacy is likely to be upheld once documents are verified.

In a separate ruling, the candidacy of Sarwar Alamgir (BNP, Chattogram-2) was canceled due to allegations of loan default.

Party-wise List of Cleared Candidates

The 20 candidates who have been granted clearance to contest the elections despite dual citizenship complications are:

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami:

• Mohammad Nazrul Islam (Dhaka-1)

• Junayed Hasan (Brahmanbaria-3)

• Moslem Uddin Farid (Jashore-2)

• AK Fazlul Haque (Chattogram-9)

• Mahbub Alam Saleh (Kurigram-3)

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP):

• AKM Kamruzzaman (Dinajpur-5)

• Moniruzzaman (Satkhira-4)

• Shama Obayed (Faridpur-2)

• Tahir Raihan (Sunamganj-2)

• Showkatul Islam (Moulvibazar-2)

• Mushfiqur Rahman (Brahmanbaria-4)

• Fahim (Sherpur-2)

• Abdul Awal Mintoo (Feni-3)

• Afroza Khanam Rita (Manikganj-3)

Other Parties & Independents:

• Jatiya Party: Md. Manjum Ali (Rangpur-1) and Khorshed Alam (Chapainawabganj-1).

• Khelafat Majlish: Azadul Haque (Natore-1).

• Islami Andolan Bangladesh: Amjad Hossain (Chattogram-3).

• Others/Independent: Sujat Mia (Habiganj-1), Jahirul Islam (Noakhali-1), and one independent candidate from Sunamganj-3.

Final Day of Hearings

On the final day of hearings, the EC processed 63 cases in two phases. Of these, 23 appeals were granted, while 35 were rejected. Among the granted appeals, 21 were against the cancellation of nominations, and two were against the acceptance of nominations.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A.M.M. Nasir Uddin told the media, "I can assure you that neither I nor my team has shown any bias in delivering these judgments."