Decision on by-elections to vacant parliament seats on Thursday: EC Alamgir
All seven BNP MPs submitted their resignation to the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) speaker on Sunday
The Election Commission (EC) will decide on Thursday on holding by-elections to the parliamentary seats that have been declared vacant following the resignations of BNP lawmakers, election commissioner Md Alamgir said on Monday.
"The Election Commission Secretariat has received the gazette that declared six seats of the BNP lawmakers vacant," he told reporters at his office in the Agargaon election building on Monday.
"The next procedure is that we will sit down in a meeting to decide schedules for the elections," he added.
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All seven BNP lawmakers submitted their resignations to the parliament speaker on Sunday. But gazettes were issued declaring six seats vacant as the speaker did not accept the resignation of Md Harunur Rashid from Chapainawabganj-3, who is currently in Australia, citing procedural issues.
The MPs whose resignations have been accepted are – Md Zahidur Rahman, Thakurgaon-3; Md Mosharof Hosen, Bogura-4; Gulam Mohammad Siraj, Bogura-6; Md Aminul Islam, Chapainawabganj-2; Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan, Brahmanbaria-2; and Rumeen Farhana, women's reserved seat.
Election commissioner Md Alamgir said the chief election commissioner and another election commissioner are out of Dhaka today.
"They will return to Dhaka tomorrow. Then, we will have an informal meeting on Thursday," he added.
After a parliament seat becomes vacant, according to the constitution of Bangladesh, by-elections have to be held for that seat within 90 days of it being declared vacant.
"We will not wait 90 days for the schedule. Since the next general election is a little over a year away," said Md Alamgir.
But a minimum amount of time has to be given for the submission of nominations, scrutiny, withdrawal, and campaigning. It takes 40 to 45 days for this. The schedule would be announced, allowing for that time.
BNP's International Affairs Secretary Rumeen Farhana announced the decision at the party's Dhaka rally at Golapbagh playground on Saturday. The MPs had sent their resignations through email to the concerned authorities the same day.
