By-election to Gaibandha-5 constituency, which was cancelled earlier over the allegations of malpractice and irregularities, will be held on January 4, reports UNB.
The by-election date was confirmed by Election Commission Secretary Md Jahangir Alam on Tuesday.
Elections will be monitored through CCTV cameras as before while voting will be held through electronic voting machines (EVMs) from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, he told the journalists after a meeting held at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital.
He also said that Dhaka regional election officer Faridul Islam has been appointed as the returning officer.
Following the death of Gaibandha-5 lawmaker and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Fazle Rabbi Miah on July 22, 2022, it became a constitutional obligation to hold election for the parliamentary seat by October 20, 2022. Accordingly it was scheduled for October 12.
But the EC cancelled the election because of "widespread malpractices" on the Election Day due to rampant irregularities.
Later, a three-member committee was formed to investigate about 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 returning officer of the election.
The candidates of the Gaibandha-5 by-election are-Awami League candidate Mahmud Hasan Ripon, Jatiya Party candidate AHM Golam Shaheed Ranju, Bikalpa Dhara candidate Advocate Jahangir Alam, independent candidate Nahiduzzaman Nishad and Syed Mahbubur Rahman.
The constituency consists of Saghata and Phulchhari upazila and 339,743 people will exercise their franchise in the polls.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
