By Asma Parvin :

A total of 2,034 candidates are contesting in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament) Election and Referendum scheduled for February 12.

Md Saiful Islam, Director (Operations) of the National Identity Registration Wing of the Election Commission (EC) and Member Secretary of the Central Coordination Committee for the polls and referendum, told BSS that among them, 275 candidates are running independently.

According to EC sources, 51 political parties are participating in the election. Of these, BNP has fielded the highest number of candidates, with 291 contesting under the paddy sheaf symbol.

Besides, Islami Andolon Bangladesh has nominated the second highest number of candidates, with 258 contestants running with the Hatpakha (hand fan) symbol. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has fielded 229 candidates with the Daripalla (scale) symbol, while Jatiya Party has nominated 198 candidates with the plough symbol.

On the other hand, National Citizen Party (NCP) has fielded 32 candidates with the water lily bud symbol, while among independent candidates, 76 are contesting with the football symbol.