Dhaka, Oct 04 – Election Commission (EC) has completed all its preparations to hold the Rangpur-3 by-election today with an urge to the voters to cast votes through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Returning officer has distributed all the necessary materials including EMVs to all polling stations to hold votes. The voting will state at 9 am and continue till 5 pm without any break.
Law enforcers and magistrates have been deployed in the field to ensure safety and security of the voters and to assist to hold elections in a peaceful manner.
A total of 4,42,072 voters will cast their votes at all 1,023 booths in 175 polling stations. Of the voters, 2,21, 310 voters are men and 2, 21,762 voters are women.
A total of six candidates are contesting for the seat which was bagged by Jatiya Party chairman late HM Ershad.
Now Ershard’s son Rahgir Al Mahi Saad Ershad will contest the by-election, independent aspirant and a rebel Jatiya Party candidate Hossain Mokbul Shahriar Asif, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidate Rita Rahman, Gono Forum candidate Kazi Mohammad Shahidullah, Khelafat Majlish candidate Touhidur Rahman and National People’s Party candidate Shahidul Alam are also contesting for the seat.
Over 3,000 law enforcers including Police, RAB, Border Guard Bangladesh, Ansar have been deployed in the field to ensure the security of the voters and ensure peaceful environment.
At least 18 platoons BGB, 20 teams of RAB and 100 law enforcers will work as mobile team.
A total of 3,244 election officials, including 175 presiding officers and 3,069 assistant presiding officers and polling officers, will conduct the elections.
Besides, there will a team of 16 election officials who will monitor the elections.
Election returning officer has identified 73 centres as important and rest of the centres is in general category.
In each polling centre, there will be eight law enforcing members including four police.
Rangpur Regional Election Officer and Returning Officer GM Shahtab Uddin told Journalists yesterday: “We have completed all our preparations to hold the by-election in a festive mode. We would urge the voters to cast votes through EVMs.”
About the preparation of EVMs, he said, “We have sent EVMs to all 123 polling stations. Besides, we will have back in case of any trouble of the electronic machines. We hope everything will go on smoothly.”
The returning officer has also imposed ban on plying of certain vehicles including baby taxi/auto rickshaw/easy bike, taxi cab, microbus, jeep, pick up, car, bus, truck, tempo from 12 midnight of October 4 to 12 midnight 5 October.
Besides, ban has been imposed on plying motorcycle from 12 midnight 3 October to midnight 6 October. However, vehicles used for election purposes and emergency purposes will out of the purview of the ban.
Besides, general holiday has been announced in the election area so that voters can cast votes.
The parliamentary seat Rangpur-3 fell vacant after the demise of Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad in July.
Election commission announced the election schedule on September 1 fixing the submission of nominations on September 9. The nominations were scrutinised on September 11 and the date of withdrawal of nominations were on September 16. – Staff Reporter
