Six candidates to contest Dhaka-10 by-polls

Six candidates, including ruling Bangladesh Awami League’s Md Shafiul Islam (Mohiuddin) and BNP’s Sheikh Robiul Alam, will contest the Dhaka-10 parliamentary by-elections slated for 21 March, reports news agency UNB.

“No candidate withdrew his candidacy by Saturday, the last date for withdrawal of nomination. So, six contestants including that of Awami League, BNP and the Jatiya Party, will contest this by-polls,” said returning officer GM Sahatab Uddin.

Electoral symbols will officially be allotted to candidates at 11:00am Sunday at the Electoral Training Centre (ETI) Bhaban in the city’s Agargaon area. The contestants can start their campaign after that, he added.

Four other candidates are -– Jatiya Party’s Hazi Md Shahjahan, Bangladesh Muslim League’s Nabab Khawza Ali Hasan Askari, Bangladesh Congress’s Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury and PDP’s Abdur Rahim.

Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) will be used instead of traditional ballot papers in the by-polls.

On 6 February, the election commission announced the schedule for Dhaka-10 and two other constituencies -- Gaibandha-3 and Bagerhat-4 fixing 21 March for balloting.

Dhaka-10 constituency fell vacant after ruling party MP Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh resigned on 29 December last year to contest the Dhaka South City Corporation mayoral elections.