Staff Reporter :
The Election Commission (EC) will hold by-elections to four parliamentary constituencies mid-July.
The commission will finalise its decision on holding elections to 371 union parishads and 11 municipalities on June 2, EC Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandaker said today.
Also, the dates of by-polls to Lakshmipur-2, Sylhet-3, Dhaka-14 and Cumilla-5 constituencies will be announced after a meeting on the same day (June 2), he added.
He was talking to reporters after a meeting at EC office in Dhaka.
He said, the EC did not fix the polls schedule for supporting to the government decision to extended lockdown to control the deadly coronavirus transmission. In the next meeting (June 2) the election date will be fixed. Subsequently other local polls schedule will be declared.
EC Secretary said, there is an obligation to hold the by-election in vacant constituencies. The constitutional time will be expired if the election of Dhaka-14 and Cumilla-5 parliamentary seats will be arranged. As this situation CEC can extend 90 days for election as per his constitutional power.
EC took the decision for holding polls to the four parliamentary constituencies amid Covid-19 pandemic for constitutional obligations.
According to Bangladesh Constitution, if any parliamentary seat becomes vacant, there is devoir to hold election within 90 days. However, if the election cannot be held due to misfortune, there is an opportunity to arrange polls within the next 90 days of the scheduled term.
On March 3, the EC announced the schedule of by-polls to Lakshmipur-2 Constituency, polls to 371 UPs and 11 municipalities, slating the election date for April 11. On April 1, the commission postponed the elections due to the Covid-19 situation.
