Teachers can resign and run for election

Election Commission Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed has said that teachers of government schools and colleges (if they are not government employees) will have to resign from their jobs if they want to contest elections. He informed this decision of the commission at a special briefing for returning officers/assistant returning officers at the Election Building in the capital on Thursday (February 14) morning. He said that the Election Commission has taken this decision based on the law.

The secretary also said that the current chairmen and vice-chairmen do not have to resign to participate in the Upazila Parishad elections. However, if members of the Zilla Parishad, Union Parishad chairmen and others want to vote for the posts of chairman and vice-chairman in the Upazila, they will have to resign.

He said, "The EC has decided that those who are currently serving as Upazila Parishad chairmen will not have to resign to vote again. And the vice-chairmen will not have to resign either. However, if the chairman or member of the Union Parishad, or the members of the Zilla Parishad want to vote for the chairman and vice-chairman posts in the Upazila, then they must resign."

The event, chaired by EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed, featured Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda as the chief guest, while Election Commissioners Mahbub Talukder, Kabita Khanam, Rafiqul Islam and Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury were special guests.