Eleven hopefuls collect nominations

As many as 11 hopefuls have so far collected nomination papers to ensure their candidature for contesting the Sunamgnaj-4 by-election which is scheduled to be held on June 15.
Deputy Election Commissioner of Sylhet division Khondaker Mizanur Rahman, who is also the returning officer, told The Daily Star yesterday that the EC preparations are afoot to hold the polls.
A total of 11 aspirants collected nomination papers from the Sunamganj district election office till last evening, he added.
The constituency comprising Sunamganj Sadar and Biswambharpur upazilas went vacant following the death of Momtaj Iqbal on 17 April.
District Jatiya Party chief Momtaj as the grand alliance nominee defeated former whip Fazlul Haque Aspia in the December 29 polls. She had entered the politics following the death of her husband JP's former minister Maj (retd) Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury.
Nomination papers would be submitted until May 17, scrutiny on May 20, withdrawal on May 27 and election would be held on June 17.
Those who had collected nomination papers include Fazlul Haque, Minara Begum, Azizus Samad Don, Nurul Islam Chowdhury, Ayub Bakht Zaglu, Wahidur Rahman Sufian and Khairul Kabir Rumen from the AL camp, former lawmaker and acting chief of the district Jatiya Party Abdul Mazid, Iqbal Ahmed of Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh and Independent candidates Faizul Ahmed and AA Nizami.