The Daily Morning Voice Online Desk: Ruling Awami League nominated candidate Mahmud Hasan Ripon has unofficially been elected member of parliament in Gaibandha-5 (Saghata-Fulchhari) constituency of Jatiya Sangsad. He has received 78,285 votes with ‘Boat’ symbol, while his nearest rival of Jatiya Party’s candidate AHM Golam Shaheed Ranju with ‘Plough’ symbol has secured 44,752 votes. It may be mentioned that Mahmud Hasan Ripon served Bangladesh Chhatra League as its central president from 2006 to 2011.

Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal said discipline was maintained at the voting centers during the Gaibandha-5 by-election. He made the remarks while talking to journalists after monitoring the by-election to Gaibandha- 5 through CCTV cameras at Election Commission Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon on Wednesday. Blaming the cold weather for the low voter turnout, he said the EC has nothing to be satisfied or dissatisfied over the low voter turnout as it is their (voters) right to cast vote. The voter turnout was 35 per cent. Earlier, counting of ballots began at different polling centres just after ending of the by-election at 4:30pm starting at 8:00am. Voting was held with the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs). No untoward incident was reported. Elections were monitored through CCTV cameras from Dhaka.

The candidates of the Gaibandha-5 by-election are: Awami League candidate Mahmud Hasan Ripon, Jatiya Party candidate AHM Golam Shaheed Ranju, Bikalpa Dhara candidate Advocate Jahangir Alam and independent candidate Syed Mahbubur Rahman.  The constituency consists of Saghata and Phulchhari upazilas and 339,743 people will exercise their franchise. On October 12 last year, the Election Commission (EC) suspended the by-election due to “rampant irregularities” on the election day and later the commission fixed January 4 for holding the polls. Following the death of Gaibandha-5 lawmaker and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Fazle Rabbi Miah on July 22, 2022, it became a constitutional obligation to hold election for the parliamentary seat by October 20, 2022. Accordingly it was scheduled for October 12. RAB, police, BGB and Ansar members will remain deployed to hold the election peacefully, said Returning officer Abdul Motaleb.