Most of the candidates contesting the 13th parliamentary election under the BNP’s paddy sheaf symbol are highly educated. By profession, most candidates have identified themselves as businesspeople. More than half of the candidates are over 60 years of age. A total of 215 candidates possess movable and immovable assets worth more than Tk 10 million.

These details have emerged from an analysis of affidavits submitted to returning officers to contest the parliamentary election. Since the 9th parliamentary election in 2008, submission of affidavits by candidates has been mandatory. In this year’s affidavits, candidates were required to provide 10 categories of information, including age, educational qualifications, profession, case-related information, income, and assets.

For the 13th parliamentary election, candidates under the paddy sheaf symbol have been confirmed in 287 constituencies. Prothom Alo reporters and correspondents across the country obtained these names by speaking with returning officers. Among them are six BNP alliance partners who left their own parties to contest as paddy sheaf candidates. BNP has no candidates in eight constituencies reserved for leaders of allied parties. Election schedules have been rescheduled in two constituencies. In two constituencies, nomination papers of two BNP candidates were cancelled. In one constituency, the BNP candidate could not be confirmed.