DHAKA: Nearly 2,000 candidates will contest Bangladesh’s 13th general election scheduled for February 12, the Election Commission said after finalizing nominations.

As of Tuesday night, 1,967 candidates are competing in 298 of 300 constituencies, following withdrawals and scrutiny.

The figure is expected to rise once two remaining constituencies are cleared, where deadlines were extended to January 26 due to a boundary dispute.

Around 3,000 nomination papers were initially collected. The election will be the first since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned in August 2024, with over 127 million voters registered.