The Election Commission (EC) has announced the schedule for the by-election to the reserved women’s seat in the 13th National Parliament, which fell vacant following the resignation of Ferdousi Ahmed Mishti. A notification to this effect was issued on Monday, signed by EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed.
According to the announced schedule, nomination papers must be submitted to the returning officer at the Nirbachan Bhaban (Election Commission building) by 26 October. The nomination papers will be scrutinised on 27 October, and the last date for withdrawal of candidacies is 1 November. Voting will take place on 12 November.
Ferdousi Ahmed was a Member of Parliament elected to a reserved women’s seat nominated by the BNP. Under the law, only the BNP can nominate a candidate for the vacant seat. If there is more than one candidate, only MPs from the BNP alliance will be eligible to vote.
However, reserved women’s seats are generally contested by a single candidate, making a vote unnecessary.
Ferdousi Ahmed Mishti was accused of being involved in an attack, looting and vandalism at the Radda MCH-FP Centre in Dhaka’s Mirpur. On 1 October, she resigned as a Member of Parliament on the instructions of party chief and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.