By-elections to the five parliamentary seats, left vacant after BNP MPs resigned, will be held on February 1, 2023.

The Election Commission (EC) announced the schedule of the by-elections on Sunday after a meeting. 

Read more: BNP MPs’ vacant seats: EC to announce schedule of by-polls Nov 18

The election schedule was finalised at a meeting of the EC with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal in the chair.

EC will conduct the by-polls to parliamentary seats -- Thakurgaon-3, Bogura-4, Bogura-6, Chapainawabganj-2 and Brahmanbaria-2.

The EC secretary said candidates can submit their nomination papers till January 5. Returning officers will scrutinize the nomination papers on January 8 and January 15 has been set as the last date for withdrawal of candidature.

On December 11, five out of seven BNP members of the parliament (MPs) submitted their resignation to Speaker of Parliament Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, as part of their anti-government movement with a 10-point demand that includes dissolution of parliament.

Read more: Gaibandha-5 by-polls: EC to take action against 133 officials

The MPs who resigned were: Md. Zahidur Rahman, Thakurgaon-3; Md. Mosharof Hosen, Bogura-4; Gulam Mohammad Siraj, Bogura-6; Md. Aminul Islam, Chapainawabganj-2; and Rumeen Farhana, from women’s reserved seats.

Md. Harunur Rashid of Chapainawabganj-3, who is now in Australia and the ailing MP of Brahmanbaria-2 Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan could not submit their resignations to the Speaker in person.

The seven MPs sent their resignations through email on the same day.

The Parliament Secretariat published a gazette notification announcing the parliamentary seats as vacant after their resignation.