Jhalakathi-1: Shahjahan's candidacy valid, incumbent MP Haroon's scrapped

The nomination of former BNP leader Major (retd) Shahjahan Omar has been declared valid as the Awami League candidate for Jhalakathi-1 (Rajapur-Kathalia) constituency in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad polls.

On the other hand, the nomination of Bazlul Haque Haroon, the seat's current lawmaker, has been cancelled as he submitted his nomination paper as an AL candidate but did not secure the party ticket in the end.

Scrutiny of the nomination papers filed for Jhalakathi-1 and Jhalakathi-2  started at the Deputy Commissioner's Office at 10am on Sunday. 

Deputy Commissioner and Election Returning Officer Farah Gul Nijhum later cancelled nomination papers of seven candidates, and declared valid the candidacy of eight aspirants.  

Shahjahan Omar was present during the scrutiny. 

On 30 November, a day after securing bail in an arson case, the former BNP vice chairman resigned from the party and submitted his nomination to run for the polls as an AL candidate for Jhalakati-1. 

He appeared in the district with AL leaders and activists on Sunday for the first time after his defection.

According to sources at the Returning Officer's office, 6 out of 11 people who filed their nomination papers for Jhalakathi-1 and 1 out of 4 for Jhalakathi-2 (Sadar-Nalchiti) seat had their nomination cancelled.

People whose nominations were cancelled for Jhalakathi-1 include independent candidates M Moniruzzaman Monir, Mohammad Ismail Hossain, Nurul Alam and Barrister Abul Kashem Fakhrul and Jatiya Party's Mo Ejazul Haque. 

For Jhalakathi-2, Jatiya Party candidate Md Nasir Uddin's nomination was cancelled. AL heavyweight and incumbent MP Amir Hossain Amu's nomination for the seat was declared valid.