The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday allowed 73 appeals on the fifth day of hearings challenging returning officers' decisions on the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers for the 13th national election.
Briefing reporters in the evening, EC Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said the commission heard a total of 100 appeals during the day. Of these, 73 were allowed, 17 were rejected, and 10 were kept pending.
He said the commission has so far disposed of 380 appeals, allowing 277 and rejecting 81, while 23 remain pending for various reasons.
According to the EC, a total of 645 appeals have been filed against returning officers' decisions on nomination papers. The commission will continue hearing the appeals until January 18.
Wednesday's hearings began at 1000am at the EC auditorium in Agargaon, Dhaka, and continued until 500pm, with a one-hour lunch break. The full commission, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, conducted the proceedings.
Appeals numbered 281 to 380 were heard on Wednesday. The EC said appeals numbered 381 to 480 will be heard from 1000am to 500pm on January 15. Appeals numbered 481 to 510, along with pending cases, will be heard from 300pm to 500pm on January 16 (Friday).
Hearings for appeals numbered 511 to 610 will take place on January 17 (Saturday), while appeals numbered 611 to 645 and the remaining pending cases will be heard on January 18 (Sunday), marking the conclusion of the appeal process.
Earlier, on January 4-the final day of scrutiny-returning officers and assistant returning officers declared 1,842 nomination papers valid and rejected 723 out of the 2,568 nomination papers submitted across the country's 300 parliamentary constituencies.
