Shakib thinks turnout of voters the main challenge

Cricketer Shakib Al Hasan has officially received ‘boat’ symbol as Awami League candidate from Magura-1 constituency.

Alongside other candidates of the constituency, Shakib received his electoral symbol from the district returning office on Monday morning.

In his immediate reaction after the allocation of the symbol, Shakib marked bringing voters to the polling centers on the day of election as the main challenge.

Shakib will face four other contenders for the parliamentary seat. They are: Bangladesh Congress’ Kazi Rejaul Hossain, Jatiya Party’s Md Sirajus Sayefin, Bangladesh Nationalist Front’s KM Motasim Billa and Trinamool BNP’s Sanjay Kumar Roy.

Local stakeholders said none of these candidates is likely to pose any real challenge for Shakib as three parties except JaPa are new to voters.

Moreover, these candidates are not that popular in the constituency.

Shakib, however, said all four contenders are qualified.

“The voters will have a chance to elect the candidate of their choice here. We all will try to ensure that the election is fair. We’ll try to bring as many voters as possible as turnout was low in the elections of the recent past.

So, our main challenge is evoking the voters’ interest to exercise their franchise.”

Shakib reached the office of deputy commissioner just after 9 in the morning. Deputy commissioner Abu Naser Beg allotted electoral symbols to the candidates of Magura-1 and Magura-2 constituencies.

Magura district Awami League president AFM Abdul Fattah, vice president Munshi Rezaul Islam and cricketer Nazmul Islam were present at that moment.