The Election Commission will hold by-elections to two parliamentary seats -- Bogura-6 and Sherpur-3-- by April 14 next, said Election Commissioner Rahmanel Masud on Sunday.
“The by-election to Bogura-6 and Sherpur-3 will be held soon, Inshallah. We are making arrangements so that the polls can be completed before April 14, that is, before Pahela Baishakh,” he told reporters at his office in the city’s Election Bhaban.
Masud said the Commission is trying to complete the elections ahead of Pahela Baishakh as the rainy season and storms are common after that period. “We hope we will be able to do it before that,” he added.
Replying to a question about postal ballots, the commissioner said postal voting will remain in place for the by-election as well.
“Postal ballots will continue in the by-election. One ballot had already been issued earlier (for Sherpur-3), but voting did not take place. For Bogura, we will send postal ballots again,” he said.
Asked about the timeframe for registration, Masud said those who have already registered will receive ballots directly (for Bogura-6).
Regarding the election to reserved women’s seats in Parliament, Masud said the process has effectively begun.
“The voting for reserved seats has already started in a sense, as it is mainly conducted by the parliamentary parties. Whomever the parties nominate can be considered elected. Formally, it must be completed within 90 days of the oath-taking, and we will do that, InshAllah,” he said.
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When asked about the schedule, he said it will be announced soon within the stipulated 90-day period. “Time is still there. Political parties have already begun the nomination process. We will complete the formalities,” he said.
BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman contested the February-12 general election from two parliamentary constituencies – Bogura-6 and Dhaka-17 and he was elected from the two seats. But Tarique Rahman has left Bogura-6 seat for by-election and took oath as a member of parliament from Dhaka-17 constituency.
Besides, the EC on February 04 last cancelled the election to Sherpur-3 constituency, following the death of Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Nuruzzaman Badal.
The elections to 299 out of the country’s 300 constituencies (except Sherpur-3) were held on February 12.
The EC published a gazette of 297 elected MP candidates on February 12, keeping the election result of Chattogram-2 and 4 constituencies withheld in line with the court’s decisions.
On Tuesday, 296 newly elected MPs took oath as Tarique Rahman who was elected from two constituencies left Bogura-6 for by-election.
The 296 newly MPs include 208 BNP ones, 68 Jamaat MPs, seven independent MPs and six NCP MPs, two Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis MPs, one MP each of Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP, Ganaodhikar Parishad, Ganasamhati Andolan, Khelafat Majlish and Islami Andolan Bangladesh.