Nasiruddin Patwari files petition in EC seeking stay of Mirza Abbas' oath-taking

Nasiruddin Patwari, a candidate from the 11-party alliance and leader of the National Citizens Party (NCP), has filed a petition with the Election Commission requesting the suspension of Mirza Abbas's oath-taking as the elected MP from Dhaka-8 in the 13th National Parliament election. 

He alleges widespread vote rigging, irregularities, and illegal influence during the polling process.

On behalf of Patwari, NCP leader Kazi Fakhrul Islam submitted the petition on Sunday, after Patwari drafted and addressed it to the Chief Election Commissioner on Saturday.

In the petition, Patwari details various irregularities at 12 polling stations, asserting that these manipulations directly influenced the final results.

 He accuses Mirza Abbas Uddin Ahmed—the BNP candidate who contested under the paddy sheaf symbol—along with his leaders, activists, agents, and family members, of engaging in vote rigging, exerting undue influence, withholding results, and improperly including invalid votes in the count.

Patwari further claims that presiding officers at the affected centers and the constituency's returning officers became involved in these irregularities at a certain stage. 

Through such alleged manipulations, the candidate with the paddy sheaf symbol was declared the winner instead of Patwari himself.

The Dhaka-8 constituency has drawn significant attention since the election began. 

In the voting held on Thursday, February 12, Mirza Abbas, a member of the BNP's standing committee, won with 57,092 votes under the paddy sheaf symbol. 

His closest rival, Nasiruddin Patwari of the National Citizens Party, who ran with the Shapla Kali symbol, received 51,396 votes.