The Election Commission has announced that fresh polls will be held at Bogra 6 constituency on June 24, as the seat’s elected representative BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir did not take oath as the MP.
The commission’s Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed announced the schedule on Wednesday at the commission office in Dhaka’s Agargaon.
He said May 23 will be the last day to submit nomination papers and candidates would be able to withdraw nominations by June 3. The nomination papers would be scrutinized on May 27.
The symbols will be allocated to the candidates on June 4.
The secretary also said that electronic voting machines (EVMs) are expected to be used in each centre during the by-polls. Voting will start at 9am and end at 5pm.
"Since a lot of time is needed to set up EVMs and to ensure that ballot papers reach the centres by morning, we will require a preparatory period. Hence, the voting time has been changed from 9am to 5pm, instead of 8am to 4pm," said Helal.
On April 30, Speaker of the parliament Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury declared the Bogra 6 parliamentary seat vacant as MP-elect Fakhrul failed to swear-in within the stipulated time.
A lawmaker-elect must take oath within 90 days after parliament goes into its first sitting. However, Fakhrul did not turn up to take the oath by April 30.
Five other BNP lawmakers, however, were sworn in to the 11th parliament. While four of them took oath on April 29, another lawmaker was sworn in on April 25.
BNP had rejected the December 30 general election results claiming that the polls had been rigged by the ruling party.
Those who did join the parliament later said they took the oath as per the directive of party’s acting chairperson, Tarique Rahman, who is now in exile in London.
