All seven of the BNP's representatives in parliament have formally handed in their resignation letters a day after announcing they were quitting their roles as lawmakers at the party's much-publicised antigovernment rally in Dhaka.
The resignation of the five MPs who hand-delivered the letters to the speaker on Sunday was accepted. But the other two letters, one of which was sent by email bearing a scanned signature, are currently under review, according to bdnews24.com.
Md Zahidur Rahman from Thakurgaon-3, Md Mosharof Hosen from Bogura-4, Gulam Mohammad Siraj from Bogura-7, Md Aminul Islam from Chapainawabganj-2, and Rumeen Farhana from one of the reserved seats for women, went to the speaker's office at 11 am to submit their resignation letters.
However, Md Harunur Rashid, the lawmaker from Chapainawabganj-3, is currently abroad, while Brahmanbaria-2 MP Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan could not join the group in parliament due to illness. Party Whip Rumeen submitted their signed resignation letters instead.
Addressing the matter, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said, "We have received seven signed applications. The resignation letters of the five who submitted them in person have been accepted. Those seats have become vacant. A decision will be made on the other two applications after they are scrutinised."
The parliament secretariat will speak to Sattar in order to verify his signature before accepting his resignation. However, Harunur's emailed letter will not be accepted and he will have to submit his resignation in person later.
“The vacancy of the seats will be gazetted. It will also be sent to the Election Commission. After a seat becomes vacant, a by-election has to be held within 90 days," said Shirin.
Apart from Harunur, all of the BNP's lawmakers attended Saturday's rally at Golapbagh where they took turns in announcing their resignations.
“Five of us have submitted our resignation letters in person. We are no longer MPs. The speaker accepted our resignation," GM Siraj told reporters outside the parliament building. "Two of our MPs could not be here. They will come and submit their resignation letters after Dec 20."
The decision to quit was made in protest at the "extreme authoritarianism" of the ruling Awami League, said Rumeen, who accused the government of 'suppressing political opposition', 'denying freedom of expression' and 'violating voter rights'.
The BNP participated in the 2018 national elections under the banner of the Jatiya Oikya Front and won seven parliamentary races. But one of them was later vacated as the party's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir refused to take his oath of office. The party was later allocated a seat from those reserved for women.
Initially, the BNP said its candidates would boycott parliament, alleging widespread election fraud. But they later changed tack and were sworn in as MPs.
Four years later, the party decided to walk away from parliament in protest at the 'illegitimate governance' of the Awami League.