By-election to Dhaka-17 seat underway

Voting for the by-election in Dhaka-17 constituency and election in seven municipalities of seven districts are underway on Monday (July 17).

Voting started at 8 am with the use of traditional ballot papers in the parliamentary by-election. Voters’ presence was seen thin in the morning. No queue was seen at the centres in Dhaka.

Large number of law enforcement agencies have been deployed in front of all the centres. Movement of vehicles in Gulshan and Banani areas remained suspended.

In the Dhaka-17 constituency, eight candidates are running in the race to be elected member of the parliament. The seat comprising Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara and part of Dhaka Cantonment fell vacant after the death of popular actor and freedom fighter Akbar Hossain Pathan Farooque on May 14 this year.

The contestants are Mohammad Ali Arafat of Bangladesh Awami League (with boat symbol), Sikder Anisur Rahman of Jatiya Party (plough), independent candidate Ashraful Hossain Alam (monochord), Kazi Rashidul Hasan of Zaker Party (rose), Akter Hossain of Bangladesh Sangskritik Muktijote (cane), independent candidate Tariqul Islam Bhuiyan (truck), Rezaul Karim Swapan of Bangladesh Congress (green coconut) and Sheikh Habibur Rahman of Trinamul BNP (golden fibre).

The number of voters is 325,205 under 125 polling stations in the Dhaka-17 constituency, which comprises wards 15,18,19 and 20 of Dhaka North City Corporation as well as Dhaka cantonment area.

On June 1, the Election Commission announced the by-election schedule for Dhaka-17 which fell vacant following the death of ruling Awami League MP Akbar Hossain Pathan alias Farooque.