Dhaka: The ruling BNP on Sunday collected two nomination forms for the upcoming presidential election. BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni collected the forms from the Returning Officer’s office in the Nirbachan Bhaban in Agargaon.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Moni explained to the media that they collected two forms for the same candidate to avoid any mistakes or omissions in the nomination process. “We have taken the forms for one person, but collected two so that there is no error or omission. The forms have not been collected in anyone’s name,” he stated. The chief whip assured that the party would submit the nomination papers according to the election schedule.
In 2023, the then ruling Awami League also collected two nomination forms for the presidential election, submitting them for then-presidential candidate Mohammed Shahabuddin. One was declared valid while the other was automatically cancelled. There are no restrictions on collecting or submitting more than one nomination paper for a single candidate.
Earlier on August 6, the Election Commission announced the schedule for the presidential election, setting August 20 as the voting date following the resignation of Shahabuddin as President on July 24. According to the schedule, nomination papers can be submitted from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on August 13, with scrutiny of the nomination papers scheduled for August 16. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is August 18. If there is more than one candidate, voting will take place from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm on August 20 in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
The 11-party alliance, led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, has announced its plan to field a candidate for the presidential election. On Sunday, it selected Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmad as its candidate. If the contest proceeds, it will mark the first presidential election involving more than one candidate since 1991, when the parliamentary system was restored. In the 1991 election, BNP candidate Abdur Rahman Biswas defeated Awami League candidate Badrul Haider Chowdhury. In subsequent elections, candidates nominated by ruling parties were elected unopposed.
Given that the President is elected by Members of Parliament, the BNP candidate is expected to secure victory due to the party’s single majority in Parliament. Article 70 of the Constitution prevents lawmakers from voting against their respective political parties in Parliament. If Parliament is not in session, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin will convene a one-day sitting in consultation with the Speaker. If more than one candidate remains in the race, the CEC will convene the sitting seven days before the scheduled polling date. However, this sitting will not be considered a regular parliamentary session.