By-election in Bogura-6, polls in Sherpur-3 set for April 9

The by-election in Bogura-6 and the general election in Sherpur-3 constituency will be held on April 9.

Election Commission (EC) Secretariat's Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed announced this at a briefing held at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city's Agargaon area on Tuesday.

"Voting will take place from 07:30 am to 4:30 pm on Thursday, April 9," he said.

Mr Ahmed explained that during the national election held on February 12, polling in Sherpur-3 was cancelled following the death of a valid candidate. Meanwhile, the Bogura-6 seat became vacant after the current Prime Minister stepped down from the constituency. As a result, elections will now be held in both constituencies.

The deadline for filing nominations is March 2. Scrutiny by the Returning Officer will take place on March 5, and appeals may be filed between March 6 and March 10.

Appeals will be settled on March 11, and the last date for withdrawal of candidacy is March 14. Election symbols will be allotted on March 15, with voting scheduled for April 9.

Responding to a query, Mr Ahmed said no referendum would be held, as one had already taken place in Bogura-6 and a clear distinction has been made between the two choices.

Earlier, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was elected from Bogura-6 and Dhaka-17 constituencies in the 13th National Parliament election. On February 16, he submitted a declaration to the commission expressing his intention to represent the Dhaka-17 constituency. Consequently, the Bogura-6 seat was declared vacant from that date, and the by-election process began.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Nuruzzaman Badal of Sherpur-3 died on February 3 while undergoing treatment for kidney disease, prompting the EC to postpone voting in that constituency.

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