Several prominent candidates have lost their security deposit in the 13th National Parliament election after failing to meet the minimum vote requirement. According to the election law, if a candidate fails to secure at least 12.5 percent of the total valid votes, their security deposit of Tk 50,000 is forfeited.
This time, Mahmudur Rahman Manna , president of Nagorik Oikya, Meghna Alam of the Gana Adhikar Parishad, and Md. Tarique Rahman , member secretary of the Aam Janata Dal, and a few others could not fulfill that condition .
In Bogra-2 (Shibganj) constituency, Manna got 3,426 votes while contesting under the ‘kettle’ symbol, where 30,476 were needed to secure the deposit. In Dhaka constituency number 12, Md. Tarique Rahman got 1,044 votes under the ‘butterfly’ symbol; which is even less than the number of invalid votes in that constituency. Taslima Akhtar of the Mass Solidarity Movement also lost the deposit in the same constituency.
In Dhaka-8 constituency, Gana Adhikar Parishad candidate Meghna Alam got only 608 votes. In Netrokona-4 constituency, CPB’s Jolly Talukder got 3,359 votes—in both cases, the deposit was forfeited. In Chittagong-8 constituency, three candidates simultaneously failed to meet the minimum vote requirement.