STAFF CORRESPONDENT

A total of 280 aspirants got back their candidacy, winning appeals against the cancellation of their bid to run for parliament in the January 7 national election.

While hearing the appeals, the Election Commission also cancelled the candidatures of five aspirants, EC Secretary Jahangir Alam told reporters yesterday.

The appeals seeking the cancellations were filed by their opponents.

Three Awami League nominees and two independents lost their candidacy.

Of those who won back their candidacy, there are two AL, 126 independent, 23 Jatiya Party, 19 Sangskritik Muktijote, 16 Trinamool BNP, 12 Bangladesh Congress, 12 Bangladesh Nationalist Front, eight Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and five Gonoforum candidates.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal and four other commissioners heard 560 appeals from December 10 to yesterday. Of those who filed the appeals, 35 challenged the candidacy of others, said Jahangir.

Officials held 84 hearings yesterday and returned the candidatures of 20.

AL’s Faridpur-3 nominee Shamim Haque and Barishal-5 independent Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, also a ruling AL leader, lost their bid because they have dual citizenship.

Objections to their eligibility to participate in the election were filed by Faridpur-3 independent aspirant AK Azad and Barishal-5 AL nominee Zahid Faruque, also the state minister for water resources.

AL’s Mymensingh-9 nominee Abdus Salam and Jashore-4 nominee Enamul Haq Babul lost their candidacies for not paying off loans.

Sunamganj-4 independent aspirant Dewan Shamsul Abedin also lost his bid during the appeal hearing.

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