The Election Commission (EC) will take necessary steps regarding Satkhira-4 MP Gazi Nazrul Islam after receiving an official reference from the Parliament Secretariat, EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said today (21 September).
“Regarding the honourable MP, we have not received any letter from the speaker so far,” he told reporters at the Election Commission building in Dhaka.
Asked about a letter from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami informing the EC that Nazrul had been expelled from the party, the EC secretary said the commission could not take action on its own initiative based solely on the party’s communication.
“We have no direct scope to do anything. There is a provision for this to be communicated by the Parliament Secretariat. Our main responsibility is election management. Subsequent legal matters fall under the jurisdiction of the Parliament Secretariat,” he said.
“If we receive an official letter from the speaker or the Parliament Secretariat, we will take the next steps accordingly,” Akhtar added.
Jamaat expelled Nazrul from the party on 22 July following an organisational investigation into allegations of moral misconduct. The party later notified the EC and the speaker and requested steps to declare his parliamentary seat vacant.
However, expulsion from a political party does not automatically result in the loss of an MP’s parliamentary seat under the Constitution. The status of Nazrul’s membership has remained pending, with the EC previously saying it would act only after receiving a formal reference from parliament.
The issue has resurfaced amid a case filed over the death of Nazrul’s second wife, Mariam Khatun, 19, whose hanging body was recovered from a residence at NAM Bhaban in Dhaka on 20 September.
Mariam’s father later filed a case against Nazrul, his first wife Moksuda Islam and Mariam’s maternal uncle Md Obaidur Rahman, alleging abetment of suicide.
A Dhaka court today granted Nazrul four days’ remand in the case, while his first wife was placed on one-day remand.
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