Tangail-7 by- polls today

The by-polls to Tangail-7 (Mirzapur) is being held today.

The Election Commission said the polls will be held using electronic voting machines (EVMs) and all concerned have been given necessary training. Health safety items will be kept at the polling centres, it added.

The parliamentary seat fell vacant after the death of Awami League lawmaker Ekabbar Hossain on November 16 last year. 

Five candidates -- Khan Ahmed Shuvo (boat), Jahirul Islam Jahir (plough), Golam Nawjab Power (hammer), Rupa Roy Chowdhury (green coconut) and Nurul Islam Nuru (car) -- are contesting the polls.

Several voters said the main contest will be between AL candidate Shuvo and Jatiya Party contender Jahir.

There are 3,40,379 voters in the constituency, including 1,69,078 females.

Voting will be held in 121 polling centres and 57 of them have been identified as risky, said sources at the EC.

Meanwhile, Rrizaul Haque Dipu, officer-in-charge of Mirzapur Police Station, was withdrawn on Thursday as per the EC directives.

The OC was withdrawn over administrative reasons, said Shahedunnabi Chowdhury, regional election officer in Mymensingh and returning officer of the by-polls.

He said preparations have been completed to hold the by-polls in a free and fair manner.