The Ruling Awami League (AL) on Sunday finalised its candidates for the by-elections to the vacant Dhaka-14, Sylhet-3 and Cumilla-5 constituencies of the Jatiya Sangsad (JS).
The candidates were finalised at a meeting of the party’s parliamentary board at the Prime Minister’s official residence at Ganobhaban on Sunday.
Awami League Parliamentary Board President Sheikh Hasina, also the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, presided over the meeting.
A press release issued by the AL Office Secretary Barrister Biplob Barua on Sunday said that Aga Khan Mintu, president of Shah Ali Thana unit of AL, will contest the by-polls in Dhaka-14 constituency.
Accordingly, Habibur Rahman, a member of Sylhet district AL, will fight for the Sylhet-3 while Abul Hashem Khan, president of Burichang Upazila unit of AL, will fight for the Cumilla-5 constituency.
The by-elections to these constituencies are scheduled to be held on July 28. The by-elections to these three seats were scheduled to be held on July 14. But, considering the prevalence of coronavirus infection, the Election Commission (EC) deferred for two weeks and fixed the date on July 28.
According to party sources, a total of 94 aspirant candidates had collected and submitted nomination forms seeking AL’s tickets to contest the by-elections to these three constituencies. The highest 35 aspirants had collected forms seeking AL’s tickets to contest the by-election to Cumilla-5 constituency while 34 party aspirants had collected nomination forms for Dhaka-14 and 25 aspirants for Sylhet-3 by elections.
All these three constituencies became vacant with the deaths of three lawmakers. Of them, Sylhet-3 seat became vacant after the death of its lawmaker and Awami League leader Mahmud-us-Samad on March 11.
The Dhaka-14 seat became vacant after its lawmaker and AL leader Aslam-ul-Huq died on April 4 and Cumilla-5 constituency became vacant after the death of its lawmaker Abdul Matin Khasru, who was also a former law minister, on April 14.
Meanwhile, by-election to another seat, Laxmipur-2 will be held on June 21. This seat became vacant after its lawmaker, Kazi Mohammad Shahid Islam alias Paplu was arrested and convicted by a court in Kuwait on charges of corruption. Advocate Nur Uddin Chowdhury Noyon is contesting the by-elections to Laxmipur-2 seats.
On the other hand, BNP earlier had announced that it was not taking part in these by polls alleging against the EC authorities of irregularities. However, Jatiya Party and several other political parties are contesting in the elections as usually.
