The Election Commission today cancelled the nomination paper of Ashraful Hossain Alam aka Hero Alam for the Dhaka-17 by-elections.

His was among eight nomination papers, including that of Jatiya Party nominee Mamunoor Rashid, rejected by the EC, said Returning Officer Md Muneer Hossain Khan.

Speaking at the Electoral Training Institute after scrutinisation of nomination papers today, the returning officer said 15 people had submitted nomination papers, of which seven survived scrutiny.

On June 5, Hero Alam announced that he would contest the by-election to the Dhaka-17 constituency, which fell vacant after the death of actor Akbar Hossain Pathan Farooque.

He bought the nomination paper from the EC that day.

The Dhaka-17 by-polls will be held on July 17.