EC preparing for elections in seats vacated by BNP

As part of the movement, the BNP has given up seven of its seats in parliament. Of these, six will be directly voted for and one seat is reserved. The Speaker has already declared the seats vacant. Now, the Election Commission has started the process of by-elections in those seats. The schedule of voting in these seats may be announced this week.

Talking to reporters at his office in Agargaon's Nirban Bhaban on Monday (December 12), Election Commissioner Md. Alamgir said that the Election Commission will hold an informal meeting next Thursday (December 15). There, the schedule for the by-elections to the vacant seats of BNP MPs may be announced.

Responding to journalists' questions, EC Alamgir said, "The Election Commission Secretariat has received the gazette declaring the seats vacant after the resignation of BNP MPs. The next procedure is that we will hold a meeting. In the meeting, we will decide when the elections will be held and announce the schedule."

Md. Alamgir said, 'We will give the schedule very soon, InshaAllah. Since it has to be done within 90 days. The Chief Election Commissioner and another Election Commissioner are out of Dhaka today. They will be there tomorrow. They may come the day after tomorrow. Then we may sit in an informal meeting on Thursday. We may give the minimum time that has to be given. We will not wait for 90 days. Since the next general election is a little more than a year away. Accordingly, we will give it 90 days in advance.' There were seven BNP MPs in the current parliament. Of these, one is from a reserved seat and six were directly elected. There were already rumors that BNP MPs would resign from parliament. Their resignations were officially announced at the party's Dhaka divisional rally last Saturday.

The next day, Sunday, BNP MPs went to Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and submitted their resignations. Later, the Parliament Secretariat informed that their seats had been declared vacant. Stating that they were not feeling any pressure over the resignation of BNP MPs, the commissioner said, "We are not feeling any pressure. Our job is to be referees. We will keep the field ready, the gallery ready. We will keep everything ready for the players to come and play."

Alamgir said, "Until the field arrives, the responsibility lies with those who organize it. The government and politicians. The Election Commission has no role in this matter. We will prepare the field, build the gallery."