Five parliamentary seats now vacant as BNP lawmakers resign: Speaker

Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury has said that five JS seats have become vacant as five BNP lawmakers submitted their resignation letters in person on Sunday.

The Speaker said that she received the resignation letters of seven BNP lawmakers, of them; five submitted their resignation in person.

Shirin Sharmin said these while talking to journalists at her office at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban here.

JS seats of those, who submitted their resignation letters in person, have already become vacant, she said, adding that of the remaining two, one is sick while another is now staying abroad.

The five BNP lawmakers who submitted resignation letters in person are Rumeen Farhana from the reserved seats for women, Golam Mohammad Sirajul Islam from Bogura-6, Md Aminul Islam from Chapainawabganj-2, Md Mosharraf Hossain from Bogura-4, and Zahidur Rahman from Thakurgaon-3.

Md Harunur Rashid from Chapainawabganj-3 submitted his resignation letter through email as he is now staying abroad and Abdus Sattar from Brahmanbaria-2 sent his resignation letter by others as he is sick now. 

Citing an article of the Constitution, the Speaker said that there is no obligation to submit resignation letters in person, adding that the parliament secretariat will verify the signatures of two other letters to know whether they themselves sent the letters.

The speaker, however, said since lawmaker Harunur Rashid sent his resignation letter through email with his scanned signature, his letter would not be accepted.

Harunur should send a fresh resignation letter, she said, adding that the parliament secretariat would issue a notification declaring these JS seats vacant after completing all the necessary procedures.

Source: BSS