EC seeks general holiday for Bogura-6, Sherpur-3 by-polls on April 9

The Election Commission has sent a letter to the Ministry of Public Administration requesting that a general holiday be declared on polling day for the Bogura-6 and Sherpur-3 constituencies.

The letter, signed by Deputy Secretary Mohammad Monir Hossain of the EC Secretariat, was sent to the ministry's senior secretary on Sunday, March 29.

The letter stated that the by-election for the vacant Bogura-6 seat of the 13th National Parliament and the election for the Sherpur-3 seat will be held on April 9. To ensure voters can exercise their franchise without hindrance, all government, semi-government, autonomous and private institutions in the concerned constituencies need to remain closed on that day.

The EC has requested the Ministry of Public Administration to take the necessary measures to declare April 9 a general holiday.

In the national election on February 12, BNP Chairperson and current Prime Minister Tarique Rahman won from the Bogura-6 seat. However, as he was elected from multiple constituencies, he retained the Dhaka-17 seat and vacated Bogura-6. The EC subsequently declared the seat vacant and issued a new schedule.

Meanwhile, the election in the Sherpur-3 constituency was postponed during the previous national election due to the death of the Jamaat candidate. The EC later announced a new schedule for that seat.