No rigged elections this time: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin has said that there will be no “rigged” election this time, assuring that the Election Commission believes in justice and that all parties will receive fair treatment.

The CEC made the remarks while speaking to reporters after inspecting the booths set up at the Election Commission Secretariat in the capital's Agargaon on Thursday (January 8) for appeals against the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers.

He said appeals challenging the validity or cancellation of nominations would be resolved strictly on legal grounds. “We believe in transparency and will ensure a level playing field for all,” the CEC said.

Nasir Uddin also assured that the entire appeal hearing process would be conducted in a transparent manner, with each application examined thoroughly before decisions are made in accordance with the law.

According to the Election Commission, Thursday marked the fourth day of the appeal submission process. From early morning, aggrieved candidates from different parts of the country have been coming to the EC to file appeals seeking restoration of their nominations or challenging the validity of rival candidates.

Appeals can be filed until Friday (January 9). The hearing of appeals will begin on January 10 (Saturday) and continue until January 18 (Sunday). A total of 295 appeal applications have been filed over the past three days.