Politics Desk
A total of 197 appeals have been submitted to Bangladesh’s Election Commission (EC) contesting the decisions of returning officers regarding the acceptance and rejection of nomination papers for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament) election, EC officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The appeal process, now in its third day, commenced at 10:00am at the EC building in Agargaon, Dhaka, where regional booths have been arranged to facilitate submissions. Candidates and authorized representatives filed appeals across 10 dedicated regional counters set up at the appeal filing centre. The process began on Monday and will remain open until January 9, 2026.
According to EC data, 122 appeals were filed on Tuesday alone, following 41 on the opening day. Among the first-day submissions, 41 appeals challenged the rejection of nomination papers, while one was lodged against the acceptance of a nomination. Of the total 197 appeals, 196 have been filed against rejections, and one appeal—from the Cumilla region—has challenged an acceptance decision.
Regional distribution of the appeals indicates that 42 submissions originated from Dhaka, 42 from Dhaka, 24 from Mymensingh, 24 from Cumilla, 23 from Khulna, 24 from Mymensingh, 22 from Rajshahi, 16 from Rangpur, 14 from the Faridpur cluster, 12 from Chattogram, nine from Barishal, and 14 from districts under the Faridpur region. The appeal from Cumilla questioning acceptance remains the only challenge of its kind so far.
The appeals stem from the nomination scrutiny conducted on January 4, 2026, which was the final day of evaluation by returning officers and assistant returning officers. Out of 2,568 nomination papers submitted nationwide for 300 constituencies, 1,842 were declared valid, while 723 aspirants were disqualified and their nominations canceled.
Bangladesh’s election law allows candidates and certain institutions—including banks, financial entities, and government service-providing organizations—to file appeals if they are adversely affected by a returning officer’s order. Appeals must be submitted as a memorandum within five days of the completion of scrutiny, accompanied by one set of original documents and six photocopies. The EC has clarified that any aggrieved party or an individual authorized in writing by a candidate may lodge an appeal until January 9, 2026, 5:00pm.
Hearings for the submitted appeals are scheduled to take place between January 10 and January 18, 2026, at the Election Building auditorium in Agargaon, located on Basement-2. The full Election Commission will preside over the hearings, which will be conducted in sequential batches based on appeal numbers. The first group of appeals, numbered 1 to 70, will be heard on January 10, starting at 10:00am. Subsequent hearings will proceed with appeals 70 to 140 on January 11; 141 to 210 on January 12; 211 to 280 on January 13; 281 to 350 on January 14; 351 to 420 on January 15; 421 to 490 on January 16; 491 to 560 on January 17; and the remaining appeals on January 18.
Following each day’s hearings, appeal outcomes will be displayed on digital monitors at the venue. PDF copies of the verdicts will be forwarded electronically to the official email accounts of returning officers and relevant stakeholders. The EC has also confirmed that all decisions will be uploaded to its official website to ensure transparency and accessibility.
Printed copies of verdicts will be distributed from the reception desk of the Election Building by designated EC officials. The distribution schedule outlines that verdicts for hearings conducted on January 10, 11, and 12 will be issued collectively on January 12; those heard on January 13, 14, and 15 will be distributed on January 15; and verdicts for hearings held on January 16, 17, and 18 will be released on January 18.
The appeal mechanism is a constitutionally and legally mandated step in Bangladesh’s electoral process, serving as a safeguard to ensure due procedure in nomination scrutiny. Election analysts note that the high number of appeals reflects the scale of participation and competitiveness of the 13th parliamentary election, which is set to involve multiple parties and independent contenders across all 300 constituencies.
Bangladesh’s nomination appeal hearings are traditionally significant because they represent the final legal recourse for aspirants seeking reinstatement after initial disqualification. The decisions delivered by the commission at this stage are considered binding for the nomination cycle ahead of the withdrawal deadline.
The 13th Jatiya Sangsad election, scheduled later in January 2026, will determine the country’s next five-year parliamentary composition. Following the appeal verdicts, the EC will finalize the candidate list, after which the election campaign period will officially gain momentum leading up to polling day.
The commission has reiterated that no promotional or campaign materials will be accepted at the appeal centre, and all submissions must strictly adhere to documentation rules.