Thakurgaon-1 voting ends, counting underway

Voting ended peacefully in the by-election to the Thakurgaon-1 constituency on Thursday (October 29), with vote counting underway following the conclusion of polling at 4PM.

Polling began at 8AM and ended at 4PM amid a festive atmosphere, according to local reports.

Three alleged fake voters, identified as Himel and Siam, students of the second year of Alim, and Minhaz, a first-year Alim student, were detained from the Danarhat Ansaria Fazil Madrasa polling centre in Thakurgaon Sadar around noon.

Presiding Officer Muhammad Abu Sayem confirmed the incident.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who vacated the seat after being elected the country's 23rd president, had won the Thakurgaon-1 constituency as a BNP candidate in the 13th parliamentary election.

He was elected president on August 20 through a vote by members of parliament and took the oath of office at Bangabhaban on August 21.

The Parliament Secretariat declared his seat vacant on August 22, stating that it had become vacant from the day he assumed the presidency, in accordance with Article 50(4) of the Constitution.

The BNP subsequently nominated Mirza Faisal Amin, brother of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, to contest the by-election.

Mirza Faisal Amin is contesting with the party's 'Sheaf of Paddy' symbol. Delwar Hossain of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is contesting with the 'Scales' symbol, while Khademul Islam of Islami Andolan Bangladesh is using the 'Hand Fan' symbol. Abdul Alim Nizami of the Khelafat Andolan is contesting with the 'Banyan Tree' symbol, and Hussain Muhammad Omar Faruk of Bangladesh Congress is using the 'Coconut' symbol.

- MaT