DHAKA, April 27, 2026 (BSS) - The Election Commission (EC) has rejected appeal of Monira Sharmin, a candidate of the Jamaat-led alliance and a leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP), challenging decision of returning officer’s for a reserved women’s seat in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad.

The decision was announced today at an appeal hearing held at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin in the chair. 

Four other election commissioners were also present.

After the hearing, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud told BSS that the appeal was dismissed on legal grounds, and the decision of the returning officer to cancel her nomination remains upheld.

According to affidavit submitted to the Election Commission, Monira Sharmin joined the state-owned Bangladesh Krishi Bank as an officer on November 11, 2023, and resigned in December 2025.

Under the Representation of the People Order, a person cannot contest elections unless three years have passed after left government service.

Since only four and a half months had elapsed after her resignation, her nomination was canceled during scrutiny last Thursday by the returning officer and Joint Secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat Md Moin Uddin Khan.

Following the EC’s decision to uphold the rejection on appeal, Monira Sharmin told journalists that she would file a writ petition with the High Court to restore her candidacy.

Meanwhile, according to the EC decision, one of the 13 seats allocated proportionally to the Jamaat alliance will remain vacant for now due to this cancellation, reducing their number of valid candidates to 12. The vacant seat will later be contested through a new schedule.

The EC has declared valid the nomination papers of a total of 49 candidates for reserved women’s seats: 36 from the BNP alliance, 12 from the Jamaat alliance, and one independent.

According to the announced schedule, April 29 is the last date for withdrawal of candidacy, and voting will be held on May 12.