Tarique Rahman gives up Bogura-6 seat

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman has formally relinquished his Bogura-6 parliamentary seat after winning both it and Dhaka-17 in Bangladesh's 13th national parliamentary election held on February 12, 2026.

Election Commission (EC) officials confirmed the decision.

Tarique Rahman submitted a written notification to the EC, choosing to retain the Dhaka-17 seat while vacating Bogura-6.

 The commission is now processing the necessary gazette notification to officially declare the Bogura-6 seat vacant, according to EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed.

Under Article 19(2) of the Representation of the People Order (RPO), 1972, a candidate elected from multiple constituencies must inform the EC in writing within 30 days of the gazette publication of results regarding which seat they wish to keep. 

If they fail to do so, the EC can decide which seat remains valid and declare the others vacant.

In Bogura-6, Tarique Rahman achieved a strong victory, securing 216,284 votes and defeating Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Abidur Rahman Sohel, who received 97,626 votes.

In Dhaka-17, the contest was closer, with Tarique Rahman winning 72,699 votes against Jamaat candidate SM Khaliduzzaman's 68,300 votes.

Per the RPO, a by-election must be held within 90 days of a seat being declared vacant. 

The EC will therefore need to schedule a by-poll in Bogura-6 once the gazette process is complete.

Additionally, polling in Sherpur-3 was cancelled due to the death of a Jamaat-e-Islami candidate during the February 12 election. 

The EC will also arrange a fresh election in Sherpur-3, likely alongside the Bogura-6 by-election.

The 13th parliamentary election covered 299 constituencies, marking a significant political shift as the BNP secured a landslide victory overall.