The Election Commission will take necessary legal action against Satkhira-4 MP Gazi Nazrul Islam after receiving a formal reference or letter from the Speaker of Parliament, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said on Thursday.
“Only on the basis of a letter from a political party, there is no scope for taking any decision. Once we receive a reference or formal letter from the Speaker of Parliament, the law and Constitution will be reviewed and necessary action will be taken against Gazi Nazrul Islam,” he told journalists at his office at the Election Commission building in Agargaon.
Explaining the legal aspect of such cases, the Election Commissioner said the EC had no scope to take action if a political party expelled a lawmaker.
“However, if a Member of Parliament voluntarily resigns from a political party, their parliamentary seat becomes vacant. If the Speaker refers the matter to us or we receive a formal letter from Parliament, action will be taken in accordance with the law and the Constitution,” he said.
Masud said the EC had not received any letter from Jamaat-e-Islami regarding Gazi Nazrul Islam’s expulsion as of Thursday afternoon. He said deciding whether an MP would retain their seat solely on the basis of a party’s expulsion letter did not fall within the EC’s jurisdiction.
He added that Article 66 of the Constitution mentions the issue of the Speaker’s reference regarding the disqualification of a Member of Parliament. “Therefore, the commission is waiting for a formal reference from the Speaker,” he said.
Gazi Nazrul Islam came under widespread discussion recently after a video showing an intimate moment between him and a woman circulated on social media. Jamaat leaders and activists initially claimed that the video had been created using artificial intelligence. Later, in a Facebook post, Gazi Nazrul said the woman was his second wife.
Following this, an emergency meeting of Jamaat’s Central Executive Council was held on Wednesday at the official residence of Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Minto Road in the capital. The meeting decided to expel Gazi Nazrul Islam, a member of the party’s Majlis-e-Shura, after an investigation found him guilty of moral turpitude, according to the party.
The party also decided to inform the Election Commission of the matter immediately.
FP/A
