Voting began in Bogura-6 by-polls and rescheduled general election in Sherpur-3 this morning for the 13th National Parliament.

Polling in both constituencies will continue from 7:30am until 4:30pm.

The 13th National Election, alongside a referendum, was held on February 12 across 299 constituencies. Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman won in both Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6, later vacating the Bogura-6 seat, prompting the Election Commission (EC) to declare it vacant and announce a fresh schedule.

Meanwhile, the Sherpur-3 (Jhenaigati-Sreebordi) constituency election was cancelled eight days before the national election following the death of Jamaat-e-Islami’s valid candidate.

Voting in the Sherpur is being held under stringent security arrangements, with authorities taking comprehensive measures to ensure a free, fair and neutral election. Members of the police, Rab and BGB, along with executive and judicial magistrates, have been deployed in the field.

Sherpur District Election Officer and Returning Officer Mohammad Jahangir Hossain said law enforcement agencies would remain active during and after the election. “The entire area has been brought under a three-tier security system,” he added.

Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance) Md Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan said all preparations had been completed to ensure a peaceful poll and urged voters to cast their ballots freely and peacefully.

In the Bogura-6 by-polls, three candidates are contesting -- Bogura district BNP President and former Bogura municipality mayor Rezaul Karim Badsha, Jamaat-e-Islami Bogura town Ameer Abidur Rahman Sohel, and Bangladesh Development Party candidate Md Al-Amin.

Until filing this report around 9:00am, voting in Bogura was proceeding peacefully.

Visits to two centres in Bogura-6 (Bogura Sadar upazila) found no queues of voters. Voters were seen casting their ballots sporadically.

At the Bogura Seujgari Government Primary School centre, around 60 votes were cast in the first hour of polling. The centre has a total of 2,639 voters.

At Thonthonia Government Primary School, there were also no voter queues. Around 192 votes were cast in one and a half hours at this centre, which has 3,662 voters across seven booths.

The constituency has a total of 450,307 voters, including 230,374 women, 219,923 men, and 10 hijra voters.