Voting in the by-polls to the six parliamentary seats — left vacant after BNP MPs resigned —concluded amid some stray incidents on Wednesday afternoon. The voting began at 8:30 am and continued till 4:30 pm, said SM Asaduzzaman, Joint Secretary of the Election Commission. The six constituencies are: Thakurgaon-3, Bogura-4 and 6, Chapainawabganj-2, 3 and Brahmanbaria-2. Electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used in the by-elections. However, no CCTV cameras were installed in the polling centers, he added. Forty aspirants are vying in the 6 constituencies for MP post. In Chapainawabganj, a chase and counter-chase occurred between supporters of two candidates at the District Ideal High School Centre around 9 am. A scuffle took place between the supporters of independent candidate Samiul Haque Liton and Awami League-backed candidate Abdul Wadud at the polling station -- triggering a chase and counter-chase, said Additional Superintendent of Chapainawabganj Police, Abul Kalam Shaheed. However, police brought the situation under control. A crude bomb was recovered from the spot. UNB Chapainawabganj correspondent reports: Voting in the by-election ended peacefully amid low voter turnout. Read more: By-polls to 6 JS seats underway amid stray incidents Abu Asif Ahmed, an expelled leader of BNP and an independent candidate who went missing on Friday, could not be traced till Wednesday afternoon. Some 1,100 police have been deployed at the polling stations while four platoons of BGB members, nine teams of RAB, nine mobile teams of police, and four striking teams were also performing their duties to maintain the law and order situation. Meanwhile, the government on Tuesday announced a public holiday on Wednesday in the election areas on the occasion of the by-elections. Earlier on December 10, 2022 at a public rally, parliamentarians of BNP announced their resignation from the JS. The next day, on December 11, Chapainawabganj-2 lawmaker Md Aminul Islam, Bogura-4 lawmaker Md. Mosharraf Hossain, Bogura-6 lawmaker Golam Mohammad Siraj, and Thakurgaon-3 lawmaker Zahidur Rahman resigned. Two other BNP lawmakers — Advocate Abdus Sattar of Brahmanbaria-2 constituency and Harun-or-Rashid of Chapainawabganj-3 — resigned later.

Jatiya Party (JaPa) on Tuesday announced its candidacy for elections to five parliamentary seats left vacant after BNP MPs resignation. By-polls to the five parliamentary seats will be held on February 1 next year. The candidates finally nominated by the National Party Nomination Board are – Hafiz Uddin Ahmed for Thakurgaon-3, Md Nurul Islam Omar for Bogura-6, Shahin Mostafa Kamal Bogura-4 and Md Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan for Brahmanbaria-2. Khandaker Delwar Jalali, press secretary to the JaPa chairman, revealed this in a press release today. Read more: By-elections to 5 vacant seats of BNP MPs on Feb 1, 2023 The Election Commission (EC) announced the schedule of the by-elections on December 18.  EC will conduct the by-polls to parliamentary seats -- Thakurgaon-3, Bogura-4, Bogura-6, Chapainawabganj-2 and Brahmanbaria-2. The EC secretary said candidates can submit their nomination papers till January 5. Returning officers will scrutinize the nomination papers on January 8 and January 15 has been set as the last date for withdrawal of candidature. Read more: By-polls to 5 vacant seats: AL to start distributing application forms Wednesday

Awami League will start distributing application forms from Wednesday for the party’s nomination in elections to five parliamentary seats,  left vacant after BNP MPs resignation. By-polls to the five parliamentary seats will be held on February 1 next year. Read more: By-elections to 5 vacant seats of BNP MPs on Feb 1, 2023 The aspirants were asked to collect and submit the forms from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi political office from 10.30am to 4.30pm on December 28-31, said an AL press release. The aspirants also asked to maintain health protocols and not to make crowd during the collection and submission of the application froms. The aspirants have to bring the photocopy of their respective national identity cards to collect the nomination forms. The Election Commission (EC) announced the schedule of the by-elections on December 18.  Read more: 5 parliamentary seats now vacant after BNP MPs’ resignation: Speaker EC will conduct the by-polls to parliamentary seats -- Thakurgaon-3, Bogura-4, Bogura-6, Chapainawabganj-2 and Brahmanbaria-2. The EC secretary said candidates can submit their nomination papers till January 5. Returning officers will scrutinize the nomination papers on January 8 and January 15 has been set as the last date for withdrawal of candidature.

The ruling Awami League will start the sale of nomination forms for bypolls to the parliamentary constituencies of Dhaka-14, Sylhet-3 and Cumilla-5 from Friday. Read: President to attend parliament to witness budget presentation Aspiring candidates will be able to collect the forms from Awami League President Sheikh Hasina's political office in Dhmonadhi between 11am and 5pm, the party said in a release. The party has also asked the aspiring MP candidates to strictly adhere to all Covid-safety protocols during the collection and submission of the nomination forms, the sale of which will continue till June 10. The party has also instructed all the aspiring MP candidates to carry their National Identity Card (NID). Read: Parliament’s budget session set to begin Wednesday The three parliamentary seats became vacant due to the deaths of the respective MPs. Sylhet-3 MP Mahmud Us Samad died on March 11, Dhaka-14 MP Aslamul Haque on April 4 and Comilla-5 MP Abdul Matin Khasru passed away on April 14.  As voting in these parliamentary constituencies could not take place in the first 90 days due to the Covid-induced lockdown in the country, the bypolls are  slated for next month. Read:Speaker announces 5-member JS panel of chairmen According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission, the bypolls to the three constituencies will be held on July 14.  

Two parliamentary constituencies –- Bogura-1 and Jashore-6 – are going to by-elections on Tuesday as the Election Commission has completed all necessary preparations.