The by-elections to five vacant seats that fell vacant following the resignations of opposition BNP MPs will be held on February 1 next year.
The schedule of the by-polls was finalised on Sunday by the Election Commission (EC) at its 11th meeting held at the EC Building in the capital’s Agargaon area with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal in the chair.
As per the decision, the EC will conduct the by-polls to parliamentary seats-- Thakurgaon-3, Bogura-4, Bogura-6, Chapainawabganj-2 and Brahmanbaria-2 on February 1.
The EC secretary said the candidates could submit their nomination papers until January 5. Returning officers will scrutinise the nomination papers on January 8. January 15 has been set as the last date for the withdrawal of candidature.
On December 11, five, out of seven BNP lawmakers, including a reserved seat for females, submitted their resignation letters to Speaker of parliament Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, as part of their anti-government movement with a 10-point charter of demand that includes dissolution of parliament.
The MPs who tendered their resignations 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 ailing MP of Brahmanbaria-2 seat Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan could not submit their resignation letters to the Speaker in person.
The seven lawmakers sent their resignations through separate emails on the same day.
The parliament secretariat published a gazette notification announcing the parliamentary seats as vacant after their resignation.