EC circulates JS election nomination procedure

EC issues circular on 13th Jatiya Sangsad polls nomination process

The Election Commission (EC) today issued a circular detailing procedures for the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) elections. The directive covers collection and submission of nomination papers, security deposits, eligibility of proposers and seconders, party nominations, scrutiny of papers, withdrawal of candidature, and publication of the final list of valid candidates.

Collection of nomination papers:
Prospective candidates can collect nomination forms (Form-1) from the Returning Officer (RO) or Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) for direct submission following the announcement of the election schedule. Forms have already been sent to Senior District Election Officers and District Election Officers, and a separate register must be maintained for distribution. Eligible candidates under Article 66 of the Constitution and Article 12 of the Representation of the People Order (RPO), 1972, must submit duly filled nomination papers with the required documents to the concerned RO or ARO from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm within the stipulated period.

Submission of nomination papers:
The last date for submission is December 29, 2025. ROs and AROs will assign serial numbers upon receipt—prefixed “RO-” or “ARO-”—and multiple submissions by the same candidate will be differentiated as (a), (b), etc.

Receipt and scrutiny notice:
Details of each nomination paper must be recorded in the register. An acknowledgement receipt specifying the constituency, candidate name, submission date and time, and scheduled scrutiny details must be handed over immediately.

Forwarding papers by ARO:
All papers submitted to AROs must be forwarded securely to the RO immediately after 5:00 pm on December 29, 2025, as scrutiny authority rests with the RO.

Eligibility of proposers and seconders:
Any voter of the constituency can propose or second a candidate qualified under Article 66, but no one can sign more than one nomination paper. Each paper must include the candidate’s consent, declaration of no disqualification, and confirmation that they are contesting in no more than three constituencies.

Party nominations:
Political party candidates must submit a certificate signed by the party president, general secretary, or equivalent. If multiple candidates are nominated in a constituency, the final candidate’s name must be communicated to the RO by 5:00 pm on January 20, 2026. The chosen candidate will receive the party symbol unless they withdraw. Further details on symbol allocation will be issued separately.

Security deposit:
A Tk 50,000 deposit is required at submission, payable via cash, bank draft, pay order, or treasury challan in favor of the EC. A single deposit covers multiple papers in the same constituency, and certified copies must accompany other papers. Additional payments beyond the prescribed deposit are prohibited. Funds can be deposited at Bangladesh Bank, any bank, or government treasury under code 1090302101443-8113501. Cash received by ROs or AROs must be transferred to the government exchequer.