High-profile politicians lose election deposits

Dhaka: Bangladesh's Election Commission (EC) has confiscated deposits of 932 contenders including more than a dozen high-profile politicians as they failed to bag the required one eighth per cent of votes in last week's landmark general elections, EC officials said on Monday.

They said 21 of the 37 parties which contested the elections lost their deposits at all the seats where their candidates stood. Among the high-profile politicians to lose the election battle included former Bangladesh president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury of Bikolpadhara Bangladesh (BDB) and former prime minister Kazi Jafar Ahmad of ex-president H.M. Ershad's Jatiya Party.

President of the country's leading left-leaning Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) Manjurul Ahsan Khan, ex-president Ershad's wife Raushan Ershad, the 1971 Liberation War veteran and Krishak Sramik Janata League chief Bangabir Kader Siddiqui were among others to lose the 10,000 takas (Dh543) deposit for failure to get the required number of votes in line with the election laws.

Ex-president Chowdhury, a reputed physician who became the country's president during Khalida Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led regime, however, quit as the BDB chief as his party candidates lost deposits in 61 out of 64 constituencies where they contested.

But according to the EC statistics, the Islami Shashontantra Andolon lost the deposit in highest number of 165 seats in the December 29 polls which is set to install prime minister-elect Shaikh Hasina's centre-left Awami League-led grand alliance in power after its stunning victory in three fourths of seats.

All candidates of the CPB, a former partner of the grand alliance, also lost deposits in all the 37 constituencies where they vied. Ex-premier Zia's BNP lost deposit in 14 seats, Ershad's JP in 12 seats, and the Awami League in four seats.