No decision taken yet over suspended Gaibandha -5 polls: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said on Wednesday said that the Election Commission has not taken any decision yet about the suspended Gaibandha-5 by-election.

"It is true that we have received the investigation report on the irregularities took place during the polls but we are yet to take any decision. We could not sit in a meeting. You will be informed about the investigation report in due time,” he said.

He said in a briefing during the monitoring of the election to local government bodies in different areas from Election Commission headquarters. The probe committee submitted its report on Sunday.

Election Commission's Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath who headed the committee submitted the report to EC Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandaker. But the CEC did not share the details of the report in the briefing.

The EC suspended the election because of “widespread malpractices” on the election day on October 12.

It also extended the deadline for holding any fresh election to the Gaibandha-5 parliamentary seat by three months, or till January 20, 2023.

While there was no concrete decision over if a new election will be held, pending an investigation into malpractices on the election day, the Election Commission said that the deadline has been extended to follow the rule of 90 days in holding an election after a seat falls vacant.

Following the death of Gaibandha-5 lawmaker and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Fazle Rabbi Miah on July 22, 2022, it became a constitutional obligation to hold election for the parliamentary seat by October 20, 2022.