Since the murder of Jhenaidah-4 lawmaker Anwarul Azim Anar in Kolkata on earlier this month, his parliamentary seat has been vacant.
However, the Parliament Secretariat is awaiting an official confirmation before declaring the seat vacant.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury addressed the issue saying: "This incident is exceptional and unprecedented. We will wait for some time before making a decision."
Family, supporters await return of MP Anar’s bodyShe expressed hope that a resolution would be found before the third session of parliament scheduled for June 5.
Comparing this case with the murders of former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria and Awami League MP for Gaibandha's Sundarganj constituency Manjurul Islam Liton, the speaker noted that those cases were different as the bodies were found, allowing the seats to be declared vacant.
"In Anar's case, the problem is that his body has not been found. We need reliable confirmation of his death, such as a death certificate or other official documentation," she said. "We cannot rely solely on social media or media reports for this decision."
Where is MP Anar’s body?When a parliamentary seat becomes vacant due to death, resignation, or other reasons, the Parliament Secretariat publishes a gazette notification to that effect. This notification is then sent to the Election Commission Secretariat, which organizes a by-election within 90 days for the vacant seat.
However, in previous cases, the bodies of deceased or murdered parliamentarians were found and duly buried or cremated. In Anar's case, despite reports of his murder in India, there has been no confirmation or discovery of his body, and the exact date of his death remains unknown.
The Jhenaidah-4 MP crossed the Darshana-Gede border into India for treatment on May 12. He stayed at his friend Gopal Biswas’s home in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal.
The following day, he left to see a doctor at noon and was expected to return in the evening. However, a WhatsApp message from his phone to Biswas stated that he had gone to Delhi instead and would call if necessary.
Since then, he could not be reached by phone. Eventually, the Bangladesh government confirmed his death on May 22, citing Indian police.
