DHAKA, Jan 17, 2026 (BSS) - The Election Commission (EC) today granted hearings to 45 appeals filed against the acceptance and cancellation of nomination papers by returning officers for the 13th national parliamentary election.

On the eighth day of the appeal hearing process, the EC received 112 applications. Of these, 43 appeals were filed against the cancellation of nomination papers and two against the acceptance of nomination papers, all of which were granted for hearing.

Besides, the EC rejected 37 appeals, while 19 others were kept pending. Nine appeal applications were withdrawn during the hearing and two appellants were absent, according to EC Secretariat Director (Public Relations) M Ruhul Amin Mallick.

He said that among the 37 rejected appeals, 13 were related to the cancellation of nomination papers and 24 to the acceptance of nomination papers.

The appeal hearings were conducted by the full commission, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, at the Nirbachon Commission Bhaban auditorium in Agargaon.

The EC will conclude the appeal hearing process on Sunday (January 18) by disposing of appeals numbered 611 to 645, along with the remaining pending applications.

Earlier, a total of 645 appeals were submitted to the EC challenging the decisions of returning officers regarding the acceptance and cancellation of nomination papers ahead of the upcoming election.

During the scrutiny process completed on January 4, returning officers across 300 constituencies declared 1,842 of the 2,568 submitted nomination papers valid, while 723 were cancelled.