Voting in the by-elections to Brahmanbaria-2 and Thakurgaon-3 is underway amid low voter presence.
The voting began simultaneously at 132 polling stations at 8:30am on Wednesday in Brahmanbaria-2 (Sarail-Ashuganj).
It was found during visits to several polling stations of Sarail upazila, voter turnout was very low in the morning.
Dhaka TribuneHowever, the presiding officers of the centres expressed hope that the number of voters will increase as the day progresses.
Zakia Sultana, a middle-aged woman, cast her vote through an EVM at the Kuttapara West Government Primary School centre in Sarail Upazila.
She said that there are no voters in the centre. She cast her vote in the empty polling booth.
Dhaka TribuneAmin Khan, a male voter at the same centre, said: "I voted quite peacefully as the centre was empty."
Meanwhile, Masudur Rahman, the presiding officer of the polling centre and also a lecturer at the accounting department of Sarail Government College, said: "The total number of voters at this centre is 4,448 people. As it is a winter morning, the voter turnout is a little low.”
However, he expressed hope that the voter turnout will increase as time progresses.
Sub-Inspector Rasheduzzaman, the police officer in charge of security at this centre, said that all security measures have been taken for peaceful polling.
Dhaka TribuneMeanwhile, 17 executive magistrates, two judicial magistrates and three additional deputy commissioners are serving at the 132 centres in 17 unions of the two upazilas.
The total number of voters in Brahmanbaria-2 (Sarail-Ashuganj) is 373,319.
Voting began at the same time in the by-election to Thakurgaon-3.
Although no untoward incident has been reported so far, voter turnout at the centre is very low due to chilly weather.
Dhaka TribuneThe total number of voters in the seat is 324,739, of which 165,235 are male voters and 159,504 female voters in 138 centres.
Of these, 72 centres are “risky”, although the Election Commission is terming these centres important rather than risky.
Voting in the by-polls to the six parliamentary seats — left vacant after BNP MPs resigned — began in the morning.
The six constituencies are Thakurgaon-3, Bogura-4 and 6, Chapainawabganj-2, 3 and Brahmanbaria-2.
Voting began at 8:30am and will continue till 4:30pm, said SM Asaduzzaman, joint secretary of the Election Commission.
Forty aspirants are vying in the 6 constituencies for the MP posts.
A total of 2,255,217 people are expected to exercise their franchise in 867 polling centres.
Earlier on December 10, 2022, at a public rally, parliamentarians of the BNP announced their resignation from the JS.
The next day, on December 11, Chapainawabganj-2 lawmaker Md Aminul Islam, Bogura-4 lawmaker Md. Mosharraf Hossain, Bogura-6 lawmaker Golam Mohammad Siraj, and Thakurgaon-3 lawmaker Zahidur Rahman resigned from the parliament.
Two other BNP lawmakers — Advocate Abdus Sattar of Brahmanbaria-2 constituency and Harun-or-Rashid of Chapainawabganj-3 — resigned from the parliament later.
Our Thakurgaon correspondent, Zakir Mostafiz Milu, contributed to this report
