EC Issues Circular on Nomination Process for JS Polls

The Election Commission (EC) today issued a circular outlining procedures related to the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) elections.  The directive covers collection and submission of nomination papers, deposit of security money, eligibility of proposers and seconders, party-nominated candidates, scrutiny of nomination papers, withdrawal of candidature, and publication of the final list of valid candidates.

Collection of nomination papers:

The circular said that following the announcement of the schedule for the 13th JS polls, prospective candidates will collect nomination forms (Form-1) from the Returning Officer (RO) or Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) for direct submission.  These forms and necessary materials have already been sent to Senior District Election Officers and District Election Officers. A separate register must be maintained for distribution of the forms.

Eligible persons under Article 66 of the Constitution and Article 12 of the Representation of the People Order (RPO), 1972, will submit duly filled-in nomination papers along with required documents to the concerned RO or ARO. Nomination papers may be submitted on any day within the stipulated period from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Submission of nomination papers:

According to the EC's schedule, December 29, 2025 has been fixed as the last date for submission of nomination papers.  On that day or any day before, if a candidate, proposer or seconder submits a nomination paper, the RO or ARO shall receive it in accordance with Article 12(3) of the RPO.

At the time of receiving nomination papers, officers will assign serial numbers at the designated place. The RO will prefix the number with "RO-" and the ARO with "ARO-". If a candidate submits more than one nomination paper, the first will carry the full serial number and the others may be marked with brackets as (a), (b) or (1), (2).

Receipt and notice of scrutiny:

At the time of receiving nomination papers, details of each nomination paper must be recorded in the register. Simultaneously, the name of the submitter, date and time of submission must be mentioned in the third part of the nomination paper. In addition, an acknowledgement receipt attached to the fifth part of the nomination paper, mentioning the name and number of the constituency, name of the candidate, date and time of submission of the nomination paper, and the fixed date, time and place of scrutiny, must be handed over immediately to the candidate or proposer or seconder.

Forwarding nomination papers by ARO:

The circular said that the authority to scrutinise nomination papers rests with the RO. Therefore, all nomination papers submitted to the ARO must be forwarded securely to the RO immediately after 5:00 pm on December 29, 2025.

Eligibility of proposer and seconder:

Under the RPO, any voter of the concerned constituency may propose or second a person qualified under Article 66 of the Constitution. However, no person may sign as proposer or seconder on more than one nomination paper. Each nomination paper must include the candidate's consent, a declaration of absence of disqualification, and a statement that the candidate has not submitted nomination papers in more than three constituencies.

Nomination of candidates by political parties:

A political party candidate must submit, along with the nomination paper, a certificate signed by the party president, general secretary or an equivalent office-bearer on the party's official pad. If a political party nominates more than one candidate in a constituency, the name of the final candidate must be communicated in writing to the RO by 5:00 pm on January 20, 2026. The finally nominated candidate will be entitled to the party symbol unless he or she withdraws candidature.  Detailed information regarding allocation of symbols will be issued later through a separate circular.

Security deposit:

At the time of submission of the nomination paper, a candidate must deposit Tk 50,000 as security. The amount may be deposited in cash, bank draft, pay order or treasury challan in favour of the Election Commission. If multiple nomination papers are submitted in the same constituency, a single security deposit will suffice. Certified copies of the challan must be attached with the other nomination papers. Acceptance or payment of any additional amount beyond the prescribed security deposit is strictly prohibited.

The security deposit must be deposited with Bangladesh Bank, any bank, or government treasury or sub-treasury under code number 1090302101443-8113501. Any security money received in cash must be deposited by the RO or ARO to the government exchequer.