They collected the nomination forms at Tk 10,000 each from BNP’s Nayapaltan central office as the party started selling the forms.

Of them, party leaders Salahuddin Ahmed, Prof Selim Bhuiyan, Nabiullah Nabi, Md Jumman Miah and Akbar Hossain Nantu bought the form for contesting the Dhaka-5 polls while M Kofil Uddin, SM Jahangir, Ismail Hossain, Bahauddin Sadi, Mostafa Jaman Segun and M Akhter Hossain for Dhaka-18.

Eight BNP leaders, including Abdus Shukur, MM Farooque James, Mahmudul Arefin Swapan, Eshaq Ali, Atiqur Rahman Ratan Mollah, Sheikh Mohammad Rezaul Islam, Md Shafiqul Islam and Abu Sayeed Rafiq bought the nomination form to become BNP’s candidate in Naogaon- 6 seat.

Besides, BM Tahbibul Islam, Nazmul Hasan Talukder Rana and Rabiul Hasan collected nomination papers to contest the Sirajganj-1 by-election.

The aspirants will have to submit the forms at the BNP office by 5pm on Friday with Tk 30,000 security money each.

BNP nomination board will interview the nomination seekers on Saturday evening at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan and pick four candidates.

As per the schedule announced by the Election Commission, the by-polls to Dhaka-5 and Naogaon-6 will be held on October 17 next.

The EC, however, still did not announce the schedule for Dhaka-18 and Sirajganj-1 by-polls.

Dhaka-5, Dhaka-18, Naogaon-6 and Sirajganj-1 constituencies fell vacant following the death of Awami League MPs Habibur Rahman Molla, Sahara Khatun, Israfil Alam and Mohammad Nasim respectively.

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Earlier on August 31 last, the party picked Habibur Rahman Habib, a member of the party chairperson’s advisory council, as its candidate to contest the Pabna-4 by-election billed for September 26.