All set to cast vote for the by-polls to six constituencies which will be started from Wednesday morning as the respective parliamentary seats vacated by the resignation of BNP lawmakers in December last year.
The constituencies are Thakurgaon-3, Bogura-4 and Bogura-6, Chapainawabganj-2 and Chapainawabganj-3 and Brahmanbaria-2.
Brahmanbaria-2 (Sarail and Ashuganj upazila)
In an interesting turn of events, independent candidate for Brahmanbaria-2 Abu Asif Ahmed has been "missing" for five days while the Election Commissioner Anisur Rahman alleged that the candidate might have gone into hiding.
Asif, the former president of Ashuganj Upazila unit BNP and the former chairman of Upazila Parishad, went missing on January 27. In the Brahmanbaria-2 by-poll, he is the main opponent of the expelled leader of BNP and five-time Member of Parliament, Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan.
In Brahmanbaria-2 the ruling Awami League (AL) did not nominate any candidate, rather the party men are desperate to make Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan winner who is running as an independent contender. Even AL Organising Secretary Ahmed Hossain visited the constituency yesterday and took part in Sattar's campaign, seeking vote for the former BNP MP.
There are five contenders. As many as 132 polling centre and 3,73,319 voters are there.
Bogura-6 (Kahalu and Nandigram upazila)
JSD candidate Emdadul Haque Imdad and independent Abdul Mannan in the Bogura-6 by-polls alleged that AL activists threatened many voters not to show up at the polling stations. However, AL nominee Ragebul Ahsan Ripu denied the allegation.
Total 11 people are competing. About 143 polling stations and 4,10,743 eligible voters will get opportunity to cast votes under this parliamentary seat.
Hero Alam is a candidate here.
Bogra-4 (Kahalu and Nandigram upazila)
There have been nine contestants. Around 112 polling centres and 328,469 voters are in this constituency.
Social media content creator Ashraful Alam, popularly known as Hero Alam is an independent candidate for the Bogura 4 and Bogura 6 by-elections.
He said on Tuesday that he would hold the ground at any cost during polling.
“I was assaulted during the 2018 national polls, but my support remained formidable this time,” he added.
Chapainawabganj-2 (Bholahat, Gomstapur and Nachol upazila)
There are six candidates with 180 polling centres and 4,05,450 voters here.
Chapainawabganj-3 (Chapainawabganj Sadar)
Three are competing. There are 172 polling stations and a total of 411,495 voters.
Thakurgaon-3 (Pirganj Upazila and Ranishankail Upazila except Dharmagarh and Kashipur union)
There are six candidates competing in this seat. A total of 128 polling centres and the number of voters is 3,24,741.
Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday hoped that Wednesday's by-polls to the parliamentary seats would be held in a free and fair manner.
The Election Commission is also optimistic on holding the polls peacefully.
