By-elections to four parliamentary constituencies will be held in July amid the Covid-19 pandemic for constitutional obligations. The Election Commission (EC) has decided to hold the by-elections to the Laxmipur-2, Sylhet-3, Dhaka-14 and Cumilla-5 constituencies in July owing to the constitutional obligations, EC Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandaker said. He was talking to reporters after a meeting held at the EC office at Agargaon in the city on Wednesday evening. The dates of the by-election will be announced after a meeting on May 24, he said. He also said that the election commissioners will discuss about the issue of by-polls to three other constituencies, elections to 371 union parishads (UPs) in the first phase and voting to 11 municipalities in the sixth phase of the staggered elections. On March 3, the EC announced the schedule of by-polls to the Laxmipur-2 constituency, polls to 371 union parishads and 11 municipalities slating the election date for April 11. On April 1, the EC postponed all the elections due to deterioration of Covid-19 pandemic. On February 22, parliament secretariat issued a gazette notification announcing that Laxmipur-2 constituency fell vacant because of Md Shahid Islam, also known as Kazi Papul, for his moral turpitude. The gazette has been in effect since January 28 when Papul was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment by a Kuwait court. Sylhet-3 seat fell vacant following ruling Awami League MP Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury's death on March 11, Dhaka-14 following AL MP Aslamul Huq's death on April 4, and Cumilla-5 after AL MP Abdul Matin Khasru's death on April 14.