Voting starts in 6 JS seats vacated by BNP MPs

Voting with an electronic voting machine in one polling centre.

Dhaka, Feb 1 -- Voting in the by-polls to the six parliamentary seats left vacant by BNP MPs began this morning.

The six constituencies are: Thakurgaon-3, Bogura-4 and 6, Chapainawabganj-2, 3 and Brahmanbaria-2.

Voting began at 8:30 am and will continue till 4:30 pm, said SM Asaduzzaman, joint secretary of the Election Commission.

Electronic voting machines (EVMs) are being used in the by-elections. However, no CCTV cameras have been installed in the polling centers, he added.

Forty aspirants are vying in the 6 constituencies for MP post.

A total of 22,55,217 people are expected to exercise their franchise in 867 polling centers. 

Meanwhile, the government on Tuesday announced a public holiday on Wednesday in the election areas on the occasion of the by-elections.

Earlier on December 10, 2022 at a public rally, parliamentarians of 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. - UNB