The Election Commission is expected to meet next week to discuss the postponed Sherpur-3 election and the Bogura-6 by-election, while awaiting government direction on local government polls, officials said.
A senior EC official said the meeting could take place as early as Monday, subject to confirmation by the Chief Election Commissioner.
EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Hossain did not confirm the date, noting that such meetings are scheduled at the CEC’s discretion.
Voting in Sherpur-3 was suspended ahead of the 13th parliamentary election following the death of a candidate.
The Bogura-6 seat was declared vacant through a gazette notification after legal formalities were completed following BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman vacating the constituency.
Reserved women’s seats
The EC is also preparing to hold elections for reserved women’s seats in Parliament during Ramadan.
Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said on Wednesday that preparations were underway to complete the polls within the constitutional timeframe.
The Constitution requires elections to reserved seats to be held within 90 days of publication of the general election gazette.
However, Akhtar Hossain said the commission has yet to receive formal communication from the Parliament Secretariat.
“We have not received anything from the Parliament Secretariat so far,” he said.
Legal framework
Under the Representation of the People Order, reserved women’s seats are allocated in proportion to the number of general seats won by political parties.
A party must win more than one general seat to qualify. Independent candidates are not eligible.
The allocation therefore depends entirely on party strength in the general election.
Local govt polls
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said steps would be taken “as quickly as possible” to arrange elections for city corporations, municipalities, upazilas and union parishads.
Speaking at the Secretariat after assuming office on Wednesday, he said polls for zila parishads, upazilas, municipalities and union parishads would be arranged at the earliest possible time.
“It cannot be done in a single day. We will immediately try to move forward,” he said.
Following the fall of the government on 5 August 2024 and the resignation of elected representatives, the interim administration removed officeholders from 12 city corporations, 330 municipalities, 497 upazila parishads and 64 zila parishads.
Although the interim government initially asked the EC to prepare for elections in Dhaka North, Dhaka South and Chattogram, the plan was later withdrawn amid political objections.
At present, except for union parishads, local government bodies are being run by appointed administrators.
However, following a court order, Shahadat Hossain continues to serve as mayor of Chattogram City Corporation.
