Polls campaign starts

Candidates around the country launched their campaigns immediately after being assigned symbols by returning officers today.

Muhit Ur Rahman, the AL candidate for Mymensingh-4, organized a rally yesterday afternoon in the Shuilpacharya Zainul Abedin Park area of the city.

Campaigns for the same constituency have been started by supporters of independent candidate Aminul Haque Shamim, who is also the vice president of the Mymensingh district unit AL, and Abu Musa Sarker, the candidate of the Jatiya Party.

Hasan Mahmud, the minister of information and broadcasting and the AL‍‍`s nominee for the Chattogram-7 constituency (Rangunia), began his campaign in Chattogram by riding a bicycle from the front of the Rangunia Upazila Awami League office in the Ichakhali area of Rangunia upazila and crossing the Karnaphuli river in a boat.

On the first day of the election campaign, Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, the deputy minister for education and the Awami League‍‍`s nominee for the Chattogram-9 (Kotwali) constituency, campaigned with activists and leaders in the Andarkilla district.

Former mayor of Gazipur Jahangir Alam organized a contest between himself and three independent candidates, Md Rezaul Karim of Gazipur-1, Kazi Alimuddin of Gazipur-2, and Akhtaruzzaman of Gazipur-5.

As soon as the three independents received their symbols, they proceeded to the Rajbari field near the RO‍‍`s office. There, Jahangir and hundreds of party members were already present, and Jahangir delivered a speech asking for votes for the three candidates.

After receiving his electoral symbol, JP candidate AKM Selim Osman in Narayanganj-5 opened an election camp at the city‍‍`s No. 1 Rail Gate location and sought votes.

Murad Hassan, a former state minister for media and information, is running as an independent from Jamalpur-4.

After receiving symbols, former state minister of information Abu Sayeed and former minister of fisheries and livestock Latif Bishwas started their campaigns. They are contesting as independents from the constituencies of Pabna-1 and Sirajganj-5, respectively.

Seven AL men who started their own campaigns are running as independents in four Chandpur constituencies.