A total of 244 nominations of councillor aspirants in Dhaka and Chittagong city corporation elections were cancelled by the returning officers after scrutiny.

Most of the aspirants, whose nominations were cancelled, are loan defaulters, while some hid information and some did not fill up the nomination papers properly, causing to disqualify for the electoral races, said the returning officers.

The returning officers scrutinised the nominations after the last date for filing nomination papers expired on March 29.

In Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), nominations of 103 general ward councillor aspirants out of 636 were cancelled. Besides, nominations 31 reserved women ward councillor aspirants out of 153 were cancelled.

In Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), nominations of 47 general ward councillor aspirants out of 493 were cancelled, while nomination of 22 reserved women ward councillor aspirants out of 135 were cancelled.

"If anybody has any complaint against our decision of cancelling the nominations, they can appeal within next three days," said Mihir Sarwar Morshed, returning officer of the DSCC.

The Election Commission, earlier, directed the divisional commissioner to dispose of the appeals within further three days after the expiry of deadline to challenge the cancellation of nominations.

In Chittagong, nominations of 31 general ward councillor aspirants out of 288 were cancelled, while nominations of 10 reserved women ward councillor aspirants out of 71 were cancelled, reports our Chittagong correspondent.

These nominations were cancelled on different grounds like hiding information, underage of the candidates and bankruptcy, said Md Abdul Baten, returning officer of the CCC Polls.

These candidates are entitled to appeal to the Chittagong divisional commissioner, challenging the cancellation of their nominations.