By-polls to Pabna-4 constituency on September 26

The election commission will hold the by-polls on September 26 to Pabna-4 parliamentary constituency where voting had remained suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The commission in a meeting on Sunday also decided to hold the by-polls to Dhaka-5 and Naogaon-6 on October 17.

EC Secretary Md Alamgir announced the complete schedule for Pabna-4 by-polls after the meeting, presided over by Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda, at the commission’s headquarters in Dhaka.

Candidates must submit their nomination papers to the returning officer by Sep 2 and can withdraw their application until September 8.

The votes will be cast through ballot papers from 9 am to 5 pm.

The Pabna-4 constituency fell vacant due to the death of Awami League lawmaker Shamsur Rahman Sherif on April 2.

The regional election officer of Rajshahi has been handed the role of returning officer of the by-polls.

Alamgir said the schedules for Dhaka-5 and Naogaon-6 by-polls would be declared in the first week of September.

The Dhaka-5 constituency fell vacant following the death of Awami League lawmaker Habibur Rahman Mollah on May 6 and the death of ruling MP M Israfil Alam on July 28 left the Naogaon-6 constituency vacant.

Apart from these, the passing of former health minister Mohammed Nasim on June 13 left the Sirajganj-1 constituency vacant and the Dhaka-18 parliamentary seat fell empty following the death of Shahara Khatun, the former home minister, on July 9.