By-polls: Grassroots leaders secure AL tickets

The ruling Awami League (AL) has nominated all three grassroot-level leaders in the by-elections for the three constituencies – Dhaka-14, Sylhet-3  and Cumilla-5 – in the Jatiya Sangsad.

Aga Khan Mintu, president of party's Shah Ali thana unit, has secured nomination for the Dhaka-14 constituency, while Habibur Rahman, member of Sylhet district chapter of the party, has been nominated for the Sylhet-3 constituency.

Abul Hashem Khan, president of Burichong upazila of the Awami League, has secured nomination for the Cumilla-5 constituency.

The Awami League parliamentary board at a meeting chaired by party President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held at Gonobhaban on Saturday nominated the three persons as party candidates in the forthcoming by-elections.  

The Dhaka-14 parliamentary seat was declared vacant after the death of Aslamul Haque.  The Sylhet-3 and Cumilla-5 constituencies fell vacant after the demise of Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury and former law minister Abdul Matin Khasru, respectively.

According to the Election Commission's schedule, by-elections to these three constituencies will be held on 28 July.  Earlier, the by-polls were scheduled for 14 July, but were later postponed by the EC for two weeks due to increasing Covid-19 infections.

For the by-polls, the ruling Awami League started selling nomination forms on 4 June that concluded on 10 June.  Some 94 candidates bought nomination forms for the three constituencies.