Gazipur-4 by-polls on Sept 30

By-elections to Gazipur-4 parliamentary constituency will be held on September 30, the Election Commission announced yesterday.
Declaring the schedule at a press briefing at the EC Secretariat, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad hoped that all political parties would join the by-polls.
The EC Secretariat has already completed all preparations for holding the poll, he said.
The main opposition BNP, however, has already announced that they would not contest in the by-polls.
It will be the first election under the current EC, which was constituted in early February.
According to the polls schedule, the last day for submitting applications is September 3 while the deadline for withdrawing candidature September 13.
The EC officials will scrutinise the applications on September 5.
A total of 2,11,884 voters including 1,11,489 women voters are expected to cast their votes at 102 polling centres.
It will be a government holiday in the constituency on the day of voting when votes can be cast between 8:00am and 4:00pm.
The Gazipur-4 constituency fell vacant following the resignation of ruling Awami League lawmaker Tanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj on July 7.
Sohel, the only son of the country's first Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed, also resigned as state minister for home on May 31, 2009.
Mihir Sarowar Morshed, regional election officer (Dhaka), has been appointed as returning officer while Mohammad Hasanuzzaman, district election officer of Gazipur, as the assistant returning officer.
About security during the polls, the CEC said like the other by-polls, sufficient number of members of law enforcement agencies would be deployed in the electoral areas for holding the polls peacefully.
He said police, armed police and Battalion Ansar would be deployed as striking forces while Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) would also be deployed as a striking force.
About the next parliamentary polls, the CEC said the commission would follow the constitutional provision to hold the polls. It is the parliament that would decide what provision would remain in the constitution, he added.
"We hope politicians will do whatever needed to hold the next parliamentary polls in a free and fair manner because the countrymen want peace," Rakib Uddin said, adding, "All of us should raise our voices for ensuring free and fair polls."
AL PARLIAMENTARY BOARD MEETS TODAY
The Awami League Parliamentary Board (ALPB) sits today to start the process of picking party candidate for the Gazipur-4 by-polls.
The meeting will be held at Gono Bhaban at 7:00pm with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the president of AL, in the chair as the chief of the ALPB.
A number of local AL leaders have already started lobbying with the party high command to get nomination.