Dhaka North City Corporation mayoral by-election will be held on February 26.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda made the announcement at a press conference at the Nirbachan Bhaban in Dhaka this afternoon.

Voting in the 36 new wards of Dhaka north and south city corporations will also be held on the same day.

DNCC mayoral post fell vacant after the demise of Annisul Huq on November 30 last year. On December 1, the Local Government Division declared the post vacant.

The Election Commission also fixed March 13 for by-polls in the Brahmanbaria-1 and Gaibandha-1 parliamentary seats.

Schedule for the DNCC by-election and, by-polls of the Brahmanbaria-1 and Gaibandha-1 parliamentary seats will be announced on January 9 and February 5 respectively.   

EC Acting Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed briefed the media after a meeting held with the chief election commissioner in the chair.

Businessman Atiqul Islam, also ex-president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, may contest in the mayoral race as Awami League candidate while Tabith Awal, elder son of businessman Abdul Awal Mintoo to vie for the post as BNP candidate.

In terms of population, the DNCC is the country's largest city corporation with its existing 23.45 lakh voters.

In the previous election held on April 28, 2015, BNP-backed mayoral candidate Tabith Awal boycotted the polls halfway on the voting day, bringing allegations of widespread rigging.

In November 2011, the AL-led government split the Dhaka City Corporation into two.

Awami League Lawmaker Golam Mostafa of Gaibandha-1 constituency died in a road accident on December 19 and Sayedul Haque of Brahamanbaria-1 died at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University on December 16. Since then, the two parliamentary seats fell vacant.