Dhaka, Jan. 6 -- Islami Andolan Bangladesh has expressed concern that the national election may not be fair, warning of what it described as an uneven playing field for candidates and parties.

Speaking on Tuesday after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, the party's spokesperson Gazi Ataur Rahman said returning officers had rejected nomination papers on "trivial" grounds that could have been corrected, damaging candidates' reputations.

"Nomination papers were rejected for minor reasons that could have been rectified, affecting candidates' public image," he said.

The Election Commission completed scrutiny of nomination papers on Sunday. Of 2,565 submissions, returning officers declared 1,842 valid and rejected 72...