Awami League (AL) candidate Whip Mahbub Ara Begum Gini is facing a tough contest in Gaibandha-2 (Sadar) constituency from Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidate Abdur Rashid Sarker in the forthcoming Jatiya Sangsad election.

Gini captured the constituency in the last two elections.

Rashid, general secretary of Gaibandha district unit of Jatiya Party (JP), who was lawmaker for two terms during Ershad regime, recently joined BNP and is contesting as BNP candidate with 'paddy sheaf' symbol.

In the last election, Rashid filed nomination paper as a candidate of JP, but JP Chairman HM Ershad asked him to withdraw his candidature. Accordingly, Rashid withdrew his candidature from the election, which led to an easy win for AL candidate Gini.

Voters of this constituency are seeing AL campaigning for election fully in the field, holding meetings and demonstrations and chanting the slogan “vote for boat.” But campaigning by BNP is almost absent fearing attacks by AL activists and arrest. However, BNP leaders and activists are campaigning from door to door of voters.

BNP candidate Rashid alleged that police are arresting leaders and activists of BNP, so they cannot campaign for election freely.

Mihir Ghosh of Communist Party of Bangladesh, Al-Amin of Islami Andolan, Zia Zaman Khan of National People's Party and Jubeyer Ahmed of Islami Oikya Front are also in the race for the parliamentary seat.