DHAKA, Dec 15, 2023 (BSS) - Twenty-two aspirants of the upcoming national

polls - whose nominations were initially cancelled by respective returning
officers (RO) of their seats - got their candidacy back on the sixth and last
day of the Election Commission's (EC) appeal hearing.

Led by Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal, the EC delivered the
verdicts after reviewing the appeals at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the city's
Agargaon area this (December 15) afternoon.

The commission reviewed a total of 84 appeals today. Of them, 62 were
rejected.

A total of 282 candidates regained their candidacy -- for the upcoming
national polls -- after appealing to the Election Commission against the
Returning Officer's decision to revoke their nominations.

Concerned aspirants were present during the appeal hearing with their legal
representatives and the essential documents.

Earlier, on the first day of appeal hearing, 56 of the aspirants got back
their candidature while 51 on the second day, 61 on third day, 48 on fourth
day and 44 on the fifth day regained their candidacy.

There is a scope for the aspirants to go to the High Court if they are not
satisfied with the EC's decision.

A total of 2,716 aspirants submitted nomination papers to vie in the upcoming
12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) elections.
 
Of them, 1,985 nomination papers were accepted and 731 were cancelled by
returning officers (ROs) during the scrutiny between December 1 and 4.

Challenging ROs decisions over rejection and acceptance of nomination papers,
561 appeals were lodged with the EC between December 5 and 9.

As per the election schedule, the last date for withdrawing candidature is
December 17 while the ROs will distribute election symbols among candidates
on December 18.