The Election Commission will decide its next course of action about the Gaibandha-5 by-election after receiving an investigation report from the inquiry committee formed in this regard.
"The committee will submit its report within seven days. It (EC) will take its final decision after receiving the report," Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal was quoted as saying by UNB.
He was speaking at a media briefing at the commission’s headquarters in Dhaka on Thursday.
The three-member committee is led by EC Secretariat Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath while the other members are EC Secretariat Joint Secretary (Administration and Finance) Md Kamal Uddin Biswas and Joint Secretary (Election Management-1) Md Shahedunnabi Chowdhury.
The committee has been asked to submit its investigation report within the next seven working days, reported BSS.
The CEC said it would not be logical to evaluate upcoming elections in light of the incidents that happened in Gaibandha as the commission had successfully conducted previous elections in Comilla City Corporation and Jhenaidah Municipality with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
The suspension of the election at the Gaibandha-5 constituency was not a “reckless” decision by the Election Commission, the CEC added.
He said that it was rather a “thoughtful” decision, which was taken through consultation with all the commissioners.
Kazi Habibul Awal reiterated the helplessness of the commission, saying that the local administration had cooperated in conducting the election in Gaibandha, but the situation went beyond control and it was not possible to restore order during voting.
"We instructed again and again the restoration of order during the voting. Discipline was absent in the entire constituency," he said.
The commission on Wednesday suspended the by-election for the Gaibandha-5 parliamentary seat amid widespread allegations of vote rigging and voter intimidation.
Commenting on the issue, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud yesterday told reporters at the Secretariat that the entire incident had proved that the EC had absolute authority in holding elections, with the government playing only the role of a facilitator.
On the other hand, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said that the Gaibandha episode had justified the BNP’s calls for polls under a non-partisan government.
The Gaibandha-5 constituency comprises 10 unions of Saghata upazila and 7 unions of Phulchhari upazila.
Following the death of Fazle Rabbi Mia, MP and Deputy Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad, on July 23, the Gaibandha-5 seat fell vacant.