Khalek resigns as MP to contest Khulna city polls

Talukdar Abdul Khalek
Talukdar Abdul Khalek

Ruling Awami League member of parliament Talukdar Abdul Khalek resigned from parliament on Tuesday to contest the upcoming Khulna City Corporation election as an Awami League mayoral candidate, reports UNB.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury informed the house that Talukdar Abdul Khalek elected from Bagerhat-3 constituency tendered his resignation letter to her in the afternoon and she accepted it. "His parliamentary seat fell vacant from today afternoon," she said.

Earlier on 8 April, Awami League Local Government Election Nomination Board picked Talukdar Abdul Khalek and Zahangir Alam as AL mayoral candidates for Khulna and Gazipur city corporations respectively billed for 15 May next.

On 31 March, chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda announced the election schedule for Khulna and Gazipur city corporations.

According to the election schedules, the deadline for the submission of nomination papers is 12 April, while the dates for scrutinising those are 15 and 16 April, and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is 23 April.

In 2013, Khalek also contested the last Khulna City Corporation election as the AL-backed mayoral candidate but he lost to BNP-backed candidate Moniruzzaman Moni.

Later, Khalek was elected MP in the 5-January, 2014 parliamentary election.