By-election to 4 parliamentary seats in July

The Election Commission (EC) will hold by-election to four parliamentary constituencies in July amid the Covid-19 pandemic for constitutional obligations.

The commission has decided to hold the by-elections to the Laxmipur-2, Sylhet-3, Dhaka-14 and Cumilla-5 constituencies in July due to the constitutional obligations, Election Commission Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandaker said.

He was talking to reporters after a meeting held at the EC office in the capital's Agargaon this evening.

The dates of the by-election will be announced after a meeting on May 24, Humayun said.

He also said that the election commissioners will discuss about the issue of by-polls to three other constituencies, elections to 371 union parishads (UPs) in the first phase and voting to 11 municipalities in the sixth phase of the staggered elections.

On March 3, the EC announced the schedule of by-polls to the Laxmipur-2 constituency, polls to 371 union parishads and 11 municipalities slating the election date for April 11. On April 1, the commission postponed all the elections due to deterioration of Covid-19 situation.

On February 22, parliament secretariat issued a gazette notification announcing that Laxmipur-2 constituency fell vacant because of Mohammad Shahid Islam, also known as Kazi Papul's moral turpitude. The gazette has been in effect since January 28 when Papul was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment by a Kuwait court.

Sylhet-3 seat fell vacant following ruling Awami League MP Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury's death on March 11, Dhaka-14 following AL MP Aslamul Hoque's death on April 4, and Cumilla-5 after AL MP Abdul Matin Khasru's death on April 14.