AL candidate wins Pabna 4 bypoll

Awami League candidate Nuruzzaman Biswas has won the Pabna 4 (Ishwardi and Atgharia) bypoll held on Saturday, securing 239,924 votes in 129 polling centres.

Based on unofficial results, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidate Habibur Rahman Habib got 5,576 votes and Rezaul Karim from Jatiya Party got 3,074 votes.

BNP and Awami League held press conferences on Saturday in Pabna before the polls ended. Awami League expressed its contentment regarding the prevailing environment of the election, however, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) demanded the election be held again, alleging there were irregularities with the election.

BNP candidate Habibur Rahman Habib said, "This government is voting shamelessly. There is no voting environment. Three cases have been filed against our leaders and workers. BNP agents were not allowed in any centre. There is no election here."

On behalf of the Awami League candidate Nuruzzaman Biswas, Awami League organising secretary SM Kamal held a press conference at Pabna Press Club at around 2:15pm. Nuruzzaman Biswas was not present at the press conference due to illness.

SM Kamal said, "BNP candidate Habib did not come to win this election. He came to do business. He was conspiring from the beginning to question the election. They had no publicity. Now he is seeking to cancel the election as part of a conspiracy."

"Awami League workers did not expel any BNP member from the centre. There is no question of threats," he added.

Pabna Superintendent of Police Sheikh Rafiqul Islam said the overall election environment was conducive. There were enough police and Ansar deployed in the centres.

No response has been received from Rezaul Karim, who was the candidate of Jatiya Party.

Shamsur Rahman Sharif Dilu, who was elected the member of parliament in the last five terms including the current term, died on April 2.

Pabna 4 has two municipalities and 12 unions. The total number of voters in this constituency is 381,112 people.

There are 129 polling stations. On election day, 2,301 presiding officers and polling officers were on duty at the polling stations.