By-polls in Sherpur-3, Bogura-6: Candidates to hit campaign trail from March 16

Candidates contesting the upcoming by-elections in Sherpur-3 and Bogura-6 constituencies will begin full-scale campaigning from March 16 after the allocation of electoral symbols, officials from the Election Commission (EC) said on Saturday (March 7).

According to the EC’s election management wing, candidates will have 23 days for campaigning. Candidates will be able to campaign until 7:30am on April 7, visiting voters across their constituencies.

In Sherpur-3, nomination papers have been submitted by Abul Taleb Md Saifuddin of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Md Masudur Rahman of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Md Mahmudul Haque Rubel of BNP, Md Mizanur Rahman of the Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist), and independent candidate Md Aminul Islam. Scrutiny of nominations has been completed, and the EC is currently accepting appeals.

The seat’s election was postponed during the 13th parliamentary polls held on February 12 after the death of a valid candidate. The commission later announced a fresh schedule.

In Bogura-6, nomination papers were filed by Md Abidur Rahman of Jamaat-e-Islami, Md Rezaul Karim Badsha of BNP, and Md Al Alim Talukder of the Bangladesh Development Party.

The returning officer has already completed the scrutiny process.

BNP chairperson Tarique Rahman had won the Bogura-6 seat in the February 12 election but vacated it after retaining the Dhaka-17 constituency, as the law does not allow holding two parliamentary seats simultaneously.

The EC subsequently declared the seat vacant and announced a by-election schedule.

Under the announced timetable, appeals will be settled by March 11, candidature withdrawals by March 14, symbols allocated on March 15, campaigning begins on March 16, and voting will be held on April 9.

The EC said all preparations are being made to ensure a free and fair election.