"Chanting slogans outside the headquarters of the Bangladesh Election Commission (BEC) on Sunday, student activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) accused the body of bias, as police and border guards stood watch. Ahead of the February 12 national vote, the members of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) the BNP's student wing were demanding that the BEC allow candidates with dual citizenship to contest."
"Under Bangladeshi law, foreign citizens are barred from contesting parliamentary elections. During scrutiny of nomination papers and a subsequent nine-day appeal process that ended on Sunday, the BEC reviewed dozens of objections related to the alleged dual citizenship of 25 candidates. Ultimately, the commission upheld the candidacy of 23 candidates and cancelled the nominations of the remaining two. In several instances, the BEC cleared the nominations after candidates submitted documents or affidavits stating that they had renounced, or applied to renounce, foreign citizenship."
"Leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP), which emerged from the protests that led to the ouster of then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, also accused the BEC of bias and acting in favour of the BNP. The competing accusations against the election body underscore a deepening divide over who should be allowed to contest in the elections that threatens to derail the country's preparations for the elections."
Student activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party protested outside the Bangladesh Election Commission, accusing it of bias while demanding that dual citizens be allowed to contest. Leaders of the National Citizen Party also accused the commission of favouring the BNP, deepening political divisions and prompting the NCP to consider withdrawing. Bangladeshi law bars foreign citizens from parliamentary contests, and the BEC conducted a nine-day scrutiny and appeal process reviewing objections about 25 candidates' alleged dual citizenship. The commission upheld 23 nominations and cancelled two, clearing some candidates after receiving renunciation documents or affidavits. All parties gained approvals, including ten BNP candidates.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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