AL picks Monirul for Dhaka-5, Helal for Naogaon-6 by-polls

The Awami League has nominated Kazi Monirul Islam Monu and Md Anwar Hossain Helal to contest the upcoming by-elections to the Dhaka-5 and Naogaon-6 parliamentary seats respectively.

The seats are currently unrepresented in parliament following the deaths of its previous incumbents Habibur Rahman Molla and Israfil Alam. 

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader announced the nominations in a media briefing on Monday. The ruling party's Parliamentary Board chaired by its chief Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina decided on the candidates on Aug 30, according to Quader.

“I urge everyone to be united and work for the nominated candidates,” he said.

Kazi Monirul Islam Monu is the president of Jatrabari Thana Awami League. He began his political career in the late 1960s by joining the Chhatra League as a student of Jagannath College.

Anwar Hossain Helal is the vice president of Raninagar Upazila Awami League and the Upazila Parishad chairman. 

At least 19 people collected the nomination forms for the Dhaka-5 constituency, vacated after the death of Habibur Rahman Mollah on May 6.

The Noagaon-6 seat fell empty after MP Israfil Alam died on Jul 28. At least 33 people collected nomination forms for this seat. 

The by-elections will be held on Oct 17, using electronic voting machines or EVMs to cast ballots in both constituencies amid the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the schedule, prospective candidates have until Sept 17 to submit their nomination papers to the returning officers.

The nominations will then be scrutinised until Sept 20 while the last date for withdrawing candidature is Sept 27.