Photo: Collected
Voting in the election to Naogaon-2 constituency (Patnitala and Dhamoirhat upazilas), which was postponed following the death of independent candidate Aminul Haque, began amid strict security measures on Monday (12 February) morning.
The balloting began at 8 am and will continue till 4 pm without any break.
The Election Commission suspended the election due to the death of the independent candidate on December 29, eight-day ahead the 12th national election held on January 7 this year.
Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Golam Mowla said all security measures have been taken so that election can be held in free, fair and neutral manner.
There are 16 police and Ansar members in important centers each and 15 members in other centers each, he said, adding that on an average there is one police mobile team for every four centers along with a striking team and reserve team.
Executive Magistrates and Judicial Magistrates are performing duty along with patrolling by members of the Rapid Action Battalion and Border Guard Bangladesh, he said.
A total of four candidates including one from the ruling Awami League and one from Jatiya Party are contesting the polls.
Awami League-backed candidate former lawmaker Shahiduzzaman Sarkar is contesting with the boat symbol while independent candidates Engineer Aktarul Alam with truck symbol and Mehedi Mahmud Reza with eagle symbol and Tofazzal Hossain with Jaitya Party’s electoral symbol plough.
Locals think that the main fight will be between the boat candidate and the truck symbol candidate involved in Awami League politics.
A total of 3, 56, 132 voters are supposed to cast their votes in the elections being held in two upazilas. Of them, there are 177, 572 male voters and 1, 78, 159 female.
Messenger/Disha
