Most of the major political parties are going to start selling of nomination forms from today to the aspirants for the upcoming 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) election scheduled to be held on January 7, 2024.
Meanwhile, Workers Party of Bangladesh already started selling of nomination forms for the party aspirants on Friday.
With these latest development centring the 12th JS polls, the electoral process started to get the momentum.
According to sources, along with the ruling Awami League, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), Workers Party, Trinamool BNP, Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) and some other parties are going to start selling of their nomination forms from today (Saturday).
The sources said, Jatiya Party, the main opposition in the present parliament, and other parties will also start their own process anytime.
Awami League official sources said, party president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the nomination form selling process for the party’s aspirants by collecting her own nomination forms at 10:00am today.
According to AL official sources, the party aspirants can collect and submit the nomination form from today to November 21 between 10:00am and 4:00pm every day.
The aspirants should collect and submit the forms for party nomination from the specific booths installed at the AL Bangabandhu Avenue central office in the capital.
Nomination forms for the candidates of Dhaka, Mymensingh, Sylhet and Chattogram divisions will be distributed from the second floor of the party office, while the aspirants from Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna and Barishal divisions have to collect nomination papers from third floor of the office.
Nomination papers of all divisions will be received on the ground floor of the central office.
The AL aspirants can collect and submit their nomination forms in persons or through a representative of the candidate without any extra gathering at the party office.
At the time of collection of the form, a candidate must bring a photocopy of National Identity Card (NID). Mobile number, three posts held by the aspirant and current organisational identity must be clearly mentioned on the photocopy.
The nomination forms must be submitted within 4:00pm on November 21.
Workers Party of Bangladesh official sources said, the party already started selling of its nomination forms from Friday.
Several leaders of the party said they already have primarily finalised nominations for at least 30 candidates in 30 seats.
Besides, the JSD led by Hasanul Huq Inu is going to start selling of party nomination forms for the aspirants from today from the party’s central office and the process will continue till November 21. The party has fixed at Tk5,000 for each form.
According to Trinamool BNP sources, the party is going to start nomination papers selling from today.
Trinamool BNP's nomination form sale will begin at 11:00am at its Topkhana road office in the capital.
An aspirant can collect nomination form by submitting a pay order of Taka 5,000. The interviews of aspirant candidates will begin at 10:00am on November 21.
Besides, the BNF on Friday urged the aspirants to collect nomination forms for the JS polls from today.
BNF President and former Member of Parliament from Dhaka-17 SM Abul Kalam Azad will inaugurate the party's programmes regarding collection and submission of the nomination paper.
The time span of BNF's nomination paper collection and filing programme is from November 18 to November 25.
The aspirants can collect and submit the nomination papers from BNF's party office located at the 4th floor of Bangladesh Shishu Kalyan Parishad building at 22/1, Topkhana road in the capital.
Sources said, Jatiya Party and many other parties will also start the nomination form selling process anytime.
It should be mentioned Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on November 15 announced JS polls schedule mentioning that the next JS polls will be held on January 7 in 2024.
He also announced that political parties will be able to submit nominations for candidacies till November 30. The Election Commission will scrutinise the nomination from December 1 to December 4.
Appeals against the nominations can be submitted from December 6 to December 15 and nominations need to be withdrawn by December 17.
The CEC also said political parties will be able to distribute symbols within December 18 and the election campaign will officially kick off on December 18. The campaign duration will end on 8:00am on January 5.
