Voting has started in the by-election to the Gaibandha-5 constituency, which was suspended in October last year due to irregularities.
The polling started at 8:30am on Wednesday through electronic voting machines (EVMs) at 145 centres in Fhulchari and Saghata upazilas and will continue till 4:30pm.
The number of voters at the centres was low in the morning due to the biting cold, but Presiding Officer Mohidul Islam hoped the turnout would increase as the day progressed.
On October 12 last year, the Election Commission suspended the by-election citing “rampant irregularities” on election day, and later the commission fixed January 4 for holding the polls.
Following the death of Gaibandha-5 lawmaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament Fazle Rabbi Miah on July 22, 2022, it became a constitutional obligation to hold an election for the parliamentary seat by October 20, 2022. Accordingly, it was scheduled for October 12.
A three-member panel was formed to probe into the irregularities.
Following the recommendations of the committee, the Election Commission took punitive actions against 133 officials, including an additional deputy commissioner, five sub-inspectors and the returning officer.
Those contesting the Gaibandha-5 by-election are the Awami League's Mahmud Hasan Ripon, Jatiya Party candidate AHM Golam Shaheed Ranju, Bikalpa Dhara candidate Advocate Jahangir Alam and independent candidate Syed Mahbubur Rahman.
The constituency consists of Saghata and Fulchari upazila and has 339,743 voters.
RAB, police, BGB and Ansar personnel will remain deployed to ensure a peaceful election.