Nearly Two Thousand Candidates to Contest 13th National Polls
A total of 1,967 candidates will be contesting the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election in 298 constituencies, following the conclusion of the nomination withdrawal period on Tuesday, according to the Election Commission (EC).
The final figure was determined after 305 candidates withdrew their nominations on the last day permitted for withdrawal.
With the allocation of electoral symbols completed on Wednesday, candidates are set to officially begin their election campaigns from Thursday.
The EC said that 50 registered political parties are participating in the election across the 298 constituencies. While most candidates are fielded by political parties, more than 100 contenders are running as independents.
Compared to the 12th national election in 2024, when 1,896 candidates were in the final race, the number of contestants has increased slightly this time.
Two constituencies—Pabna-1 and Pabna-2—have been excluded from the current tally, as fresh election schedules are being prepared in line with court directives. As a result, the present statistics apply to 298 seats instead of the full 300.
Earlier, by December 29, a total of 2,585 nomination papers were submitted for all 300 parliamentary seats. The scrutiny process, conducted between December 30 and January 4, led to the rejection of 726 nomination papers due to legal and procedural shortcomings.
Among those whose nominations were rejected, 645 candidates filed appeals. After hearings, the EC restored the candidacy of 431 individuals, while the remaining aspirants either failed to secure approval or did not pursue their appeals.
Following the completion of the appeal process and the final withdrawal deadline, the number of candidates contesting the election has now been finalised at 1,967.
