The Election Commission of Bangladesh has declared the Bogura-6 parliamentary seat vacant, according to a gazette published on Monday.
Tarique Rahman, who was elected from both Bogura-6 and Dhaka-17 constituencies, had informed the EC of his decision to represent Dhaka-17.
The gazette, signed by EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, cited Article 71 (2)(a) of the Constitution, which states that a member of parliament can represent only one seat. Tarique submitted a signed declaration on 16 February 2026, confirming his choice, and the Bogura-6 seat has been vacant since that date.
Under the Representation of the People Order (RPO), a candidate may contest up to three seats in a general election. However, once elected, a lawmaker can occupy only one seat and must inform the EC which seat they intend to represent. If no decision is communicated within 30 days of the gazette publication of results, all seats won by the candidate are automatically declared vacant.
The schedule for the by-election in Bogura-6 will be announced in due course.
Historically, the RPO did not cap the number of seats a candidate could contest. The first limit was introduced in 1986, allowing a maximum of five seats. Subsequent amendments in 2008–2009 reduced the maximum to three.