Ballots and election materials reach 185 centres on eve of Thakurgaon-1 by-election, voting on Thursday

Ahead of the Thakurgaon-1 by-election, the sending of ballot papers, ballot boxes and other necessary election materials to polling centres has begun. Voting in the by-election in this constituency will be held on Thursday (29 October).

The district election commission began distributing the materials from the Thakurgaon Government Boys' High School field at around 10:30am on Wednesday (28 October).

BNP candidate Mirza Faisal Amin is contesting the election with the sheaf of paddy symbol. On the other hand, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami's Delawar Hossain is contesting as the candidate of the 11-party alliance with the scales symbol.

In addition, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan candidate Md Abdul Alim Nizami with the banyan tree symbol, Islami Andolan Bangladesh candidate Md Khademul Islam with the hand fan symbol and Bangladesh Congress candidate Hosain Mohammad Omar Faruk are taking part in the election.

District Returning Officer Md Kamrul Islam said the constituency, formed with Thakurgaon Sadar, Ruhia and Bhulli areas, has a total of 516,138 voters. A total of 185 centres have been prepared for their voting.

He said CC cameras have been installed at every centre to make the election fair and peaceful. Alongside this, 5,300 members have been deployed to maintain law and order and arrangements have been made to appoint magistrates. Necessary security measures have been taken so that voters can cast their votes fearlessly and without hindrance, he said.

The Thakurgaon-1 parliamentary seat of former BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was declared vacant after he assumed the office of President. This was announced in a message signed by Assistant Director (Public Relations) of the Parliament Secretariat Md Rashed Mizan on 22 August.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir assumed charge as President at 7:30pm on 21 August. As a result, under Article 50(4) of the Constitution, the Thakurgaon-1 seat became vacant from the date he assumed charge.

Earlier, in the election held in the National Parliament on 20 August, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was elected President by a majority vote. He took charge as President the next day.

According to the Constitution, the President cannot simultaneously remain a member of parliament. For this reason, the vacancy of his elected parliamentary seat took effect as soon as he assumed the office of President.