A nomination paper has been collected on behalf of former interim government adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan from Cumilla-3 constituency (Muradnagar) as an independent candidate.

The nomination paper was collected from the office of the Cumilla Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Returning Officer on Wednesday.

Confirming the matter, DC Md Reza Hasan, said, “A person named Ramzanul Karim collected the nomination form on behalf of former adviser Asif Mahmud on Wednesday. As Asif himself was not present, the matter did not become public immediately. So far, 104 candidates have collected nomination forms from the district’s 11 constituencies.”

Asif Mahmud hails from Muradnagar upazila. While there had been speculation that he would contest from Comilla-3, he later announced that he would run from Dhaka-10 and collected nomination papers for the constituency on 22 December.

Inquiries revealed that Ramzanul Karim, who collected the nomination form on Asif’s behalf, is a resident of Palpara village in Cumilla Adarsha Sadar upazila and works as a legal assistant at the Cumilla District Judge Court.

Speaking about the matter, Ramzanul Karim said, “I have no personal relationship with former adviser Asif Mahmud. On Wednesday, people claiming to be from his side asked me to collect the nomination form from the DC office, providing the address and bank draft money. I collected the form and handed it over to them. I do not know whether he will ultimately contest from this constituency.”