EC upholds cancellation of NCP's Monira Sharmin's nomination on appeal

The Election Commission has upheld the decision to cancel the nomination paper of National Citizen Party (NCP) candidate Monira Sharmin for the reserved women's seats election.

The commission rejected her appeal after a lengthy hearing around 11:00 am on Monday, April 27, leaving the earlier cancellation in force.

Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker said they could not provide Monira Sharmin with any legal relief in the appeal. The nomination cancellation will remain in force.

Earlier, on Sunday, April 26, she had filed an appeal at the Election Commission in Agargaon challenging the cancellation.

The returning officer had cancelled Monira Sharmin's nomination on April 23 on the grounds that she had not completed the mandatory three-year gap after resigning from government service, as required under the Representation of the People Order 1972.

According to her affidavit, she joined state-owned Bangladesh Krishi Bank as an officer on November 11, 2023, and resigned in December 2025. The three-year cooling-off period has not yet been completed, with around four months still remaining.

After the appeal was rejected, Monira Sharmin told journalists she would continue her legal battle and plans to challenge the decision in the High Court.

The development came on the first day of appeal hearings at the Election Commission building in Agargaon . According to the election schedule, appeals will be disposed of on April 27 and 28, candidature withdrawal is set for April 29, symbol allocation on April 30, and voting will be held on May 12.

With Monira Sharmin's nomination cancelled, the Jamaat alliance may lose one reserved women's seat, reducing its allocation from 13 to 12.