Dhaka: The Election Commission (EC) will send postal ballots to voters residing inside the country by March 25 for the elections to Sherpur-3 and by-polls to Bogura-6 constituencies. Salim Ahmed Khan, Team Leader of the ‘OCV-SDI’ project on expatriate voter registration, informed BSS today.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Khan mentioned that postal ballots have already been dispatched to registered expatriate voters for these two constituencies. Specifically, 1,281 registered expatriate voters for Bogura-6 constituency and 383 registered expatriate voters in Sherpur-3 constituency have received their postal ballots. The ballots for voters registered inside the country are set to be sent by March 25.
On Sunday, Returning Officer Mohammad Jahangir Hossain told BSS that a total of three candidates are contesting in the general election for Sherpur-3, and their election symbols have been allocated. The candidates include BNP candidate Md. Mahmudul Haque Rubel, contesting with the ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ symbol, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami nominee Md. Masudur Rahman with the ‘Dari Palla’ symbol, and a candidate from Bangladeshe Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist) with the ‘Scissor’ symbol. The EC had canceled the election in this constituency earlier due to the death of a Jamaat-e-Islami candidate during the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election on February 12, which led to a new schedule being announced.
In the Bogura-6 constituency, Returning Officer Md. Fazlul Karim informed BSS that three candidates are contesting in the by-election, with their symbols allocated on Sunday. The candidates include BNP candidate Md. Rezaul Karim Badsha with the ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ symbol, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Md. Abidur Rahman with the ‘Dari Palla’ symbol, and a candidate from the Bangladesh Development Party with the ‘Cauliflower’ symbol. Karim noted that the election environment in this constituency is favorable.
BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, currently the prime minister, had previously won from two seats-Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6-in the national election. He later vacated the Bogura-6 seat, prompting the EC to declare it vacant and announce a new schedule.
According to the schedule announced by the EC, voting for the Bogura-6 by-election and the Sherpur-3 election will take place on April 9, from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm without interruption.