5 mayoral candidates accepted for Cumilla city polls
Five out of six mayoral candidates have been selected for the upcoming Cumilla City Corporation (CCC) election after their nomination papers were accepted on Thursday.
The nomination hearing of the remaining one independent candidate will be held at 3pm, CCC Election Returning Officer Shahedunnabi Chowdhury told media during the nomination selection process at Cumilla Shilpakala Academy today.
The five valid candidates are ruling party nominee Arfanul Haque Rifat, independent candidate and former CCC mayor Monirul Haque Sakku, Islami Andolan Bangladesh nominee Rashedul Islam, and independent candidates Nizam Uddin Kaiser and Kamrul Ahsan Babul.
The name of the suspended candidate is Masud Parvez Khan Imran.
"The candidates whose nominations have been cancelled will have to appeal to the Chattogram divisional commissioner for the validity of their candidacy," Shahedunnabi said adding that an appeal for nomination after the deadline will be deemed invalid.
Reportedly, the Cumilla City Corporation (CCC) election, the first test for the new Election Commission (EC), will be held on 15 June.
The CCC election was supposed to be held earlier, but the EC failed to hold the polls in time due to complications over electoral area demarcation.
The term of the present city corporation will end on 16 May. Under the law, voting for the next city corporation has to be held within 180 days of the term expiry of the present one.