Election to vacant seats within 90 days, EC Alamgir says

Staff Reporter :
The constituencies of five Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) lawmakers in Jatiya Sangsad (JS) will be declared vacant soon by issuing gazette notifications as they have submitted their resignation letters in person to Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) has started its preparation to hold by-polls in those Parliament seats that fell vacant following the resignation of BNP MPs within 90 days of being declared according to the commission officials.
While talking to reporters after receiving the resignation letters of BNP MPs, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury told reporters that the seats of five BNP MPs in the parliament are now vacant as they have tendered their resignation letters in person.
“I have received the resignation letters of seven BNP lawmakers. Of them, five came here in person to submit resignation letters,” she said.
The five MPs, who submitted resignation letters in person, are- Zahidur Rahman of Thakurgaon-3, Gulam
Mohammad Siraj (GM Siraj) of Bogura-6, Mosharof Hosen of Bogura-4, Aminul Islam of Chapainawabganj-2 and Rumeen Farhana of reserved women seat.
The Speaker said that those who have submitted in person would be declared vacant soon. The two – Harunur Rashid of Chapainawabganj-3 and Ukil Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan of Brahmanbaria-2 will submit their resignations later as one of them is sick and another is now abroad.
“Harunur Rashid sent his resignation letter via email. His signature was scanned and affixed to the resignation letter. It will not be accepted, he will have to submit his resignation letter again,” she said, adding MP Sattar’s signature in the resignation letter will be verified and the Parliament Secretariat will enquire whether he submitted the resignation letter or not.
Referring to the relevant section of the constitution, the Speaker said there is no obligation for a lawmaker to submit the resignation letter in person.
Parliament Secretariat sources said the secretariat will issue a gazette notification on the vacant seats on Sunday or as soon as possible.
While talking to media at his office on Sunday, Election Commissioner Md Alamgir said that the by-polls of the vacant seats will be held within 90 days after issuance of gazette notification declaring the seats vacant.
“We have seen in the media that they have resigned. We haven’t received any gazette yet declaring the seats vacant. If they have indeed resigned, elections will be held within 90 days of the seat becoming vacant. If the resignation is tendered to the Speaker or in her absence by the Deputy Speaker, gazette notification will be issued,” he said.
“If the gazette notification is issued, then the EC’s work will start. Until the gazette, we have no chance to start work. It is the responsibility of the commission to hold an election within 90 days if a member of parliament resigns or dies,” he added.
After a parliament seat gets empty, according to the constitution of Bangladesh, by-elections have to hold for that seat within 90 day of being declared empty.
The BNP MPs submitted their resignation to the JS speaker in-person on Sunday. Five of the BNP lawmakers went to the parliament around 11am and handed over their resignations. Meanwhile, the others submitted their resignation letters via the BNP whip.
Earlier on Saturday’s rally held in the Dhaka’s Golapbagh field, BNP announced the resignation of its MPs as per the decision of the party’s standing committee.
After submission of the resignation letters, BNP MP GM Siraj told reporters that five MPs have submitted their resignation letters in person. Other two MPs – Harunur Rashid and Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan will submit their resignation in person later to the Speaker. One of them is sick and the other is now abroad. The resignation of the MPs will strengthen the ongoing movement against the government.
In 1994, some 147 of the 154 opposition parliament members of Awami League, Jamaat and Jatiya Party (JaPa) resigned in a bid to oust the then Khaleda Zia’s government.