At least 95 political parties and 1,931 candidates will contest Bangladesh's upcoming general election, officials said on Saturday. The election commission released the final figures for the October one poll after weeks of unprecedented horse-trading and bickering between candidates and parties.
The major parties reshuffled candidates until as late as Thursday, the deadline for withdrawing candidates. Many disgruntled party aspirants decided to contest as independent candidates, despite warnings they would be expelled from their parties.
The commission also distributed election-card symbols, which are very important in Bangladesh due to a low rate of literacy, to the 95 political parties.
Many voters only recognise the symbols on the election cards when looking for the party they want to vote for. The Awami League of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina wajed retained its traditional boat symbol while rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) also kept its leaf of paddy logo.
Meanwhile local media reported that, Sheikh Hasina warned the caretaker government of Latifur Rahman that her party and the people would not accept it favouring her rivals and the lead up to the election.
The responsibility of the caretaker government is to hold elections in a free and fair manner, she said. If it acts to please any particular party, it loses its neutrality.
Bureau Report