Thursday, 30th April 2026
Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 11th March 2026, 7:41 PM
The High Court has agreed to hear five separate election petitions challenging the results of the 13th National Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. A single-judge bench, headed by Justice Md. Zakir Hossain, formally accepted the petitions on Wednesday for hearing.
The five petitions concern allegations of vote rigging and irregularities in the constituencies of Dhaka-5, Dhaka-13, Pabna-3, Gaibandha-5, and Kushtia-4. Among the petitioners, four are candidates from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), while one represents the 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami.
| Constituency | Petitioner | Party/Alliance | Legal Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhaka-5 | Md. Nabi Ulla | BNP | Sakib Mahbub |
| Dhaka-13 | Md. Mamunul Haque | 11-party alliance (Jamaat-e-Islami-supported) | Sonchita Siddiqui |
| Kushtia-4 | Syed Mehedi Ahmed Rumi | BNP | K.M. Mamun Or Rashid |
| Pabna-3 | Md. Hasan Zafir Tuhin | BNP | Md. Nazmul Islam |
| Gaibandha-5 | Md. Faruq Alam Sarkar | BNP | A.M. Mahbub Uddin Khokon |
According to the BCP, Chief Justice had previously assigned a single-judge bench on 17 February to accept and hear election petitions. These five petitions were listed as motions (new cases) in Wednesday’s court agenda.
The contested results reveal narrow margins in several constituencies, underpinning the petitions.
| Constituency | Winning Candidate | Votes | Runner-up | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dhaka-5 | Mohammad Kamal Hossain | 96,641 | Md. Nabi Ulla | 87,491 |
| Dhaka-13 | Bobby Hajjaj | 88,387 | Md. Mamunul Haque | 86,667 |
| Kushtia-4 | Mohammad Afzal Hossain | 148,201 | Syed Mehedi Ahmed Rumi | 139,603 |
| Pabna-3 | Muhammad Ali Asgar | 147,475 | Md. Hasan Zafir Tuhin | 144,206 |
| Gaibandha-5 | Mohammad Abdul Waresh | 89,274 | Md. Faruq Alam Sarkar | 73,483 |
In Dhaka-13, Mamunul Haque’s lawyer, Sonchita Siddiqui, told Prothom Alo that allegations of vote rigging prompted the petition. The High Court has directed that electoral equipment in the constituency be preserved for inspection.
Similarly, Md. Nazmul Islam, lawyer for Hasan Zafir Tuhin in Pabna-3, confirmed that the court accepted the petition for hearing and scheduled it for 14 June.
After the official gazette publication of election results, any candidate disputing outcomes can file an election petition with the High Court. From 26 February to 9 March, the same bench accepted 22 election petitions from 22 different candidates for hearing, reflecting a high level of scrutiny and ongoing legal challenges following the parliamentary elections.
This latest set of petitions underscores the heightened tensions and scrutiny surrounding Bangladesh’s electoral process, as multiple constituencies face legal examination over alleged irregularities.
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