Thakurgaon-1 By-Election Today, 5,300 Security Personnel Deployed

Voting in the Thakurgaon-1 by-election is scheduled to take place today, Thursday (October 29), from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Election materials have already been delivered to all 185 polling centres, and the necessary preparations have been completed.

The constituency has a total of 516,138 registered voters. Of the 185 polling centres, 113 are located in Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila, 33 in Ruhia and 39 in Bhulli. Authorities have classified 115 centres as highly important and the remaining 70 as moderately important.

Five candidates are contesting the by-election: Mirza Faisal Amin of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), with the Sheaf of Paddy symbol; Delawar Hossain of Jamaat-e-Islami, with the Scales symbol; Md. Abdul Alim Nizami of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, with the Banyan Tree symbol; Md. Khademul Islam of Islami Andolon Bangladesh, with the Hand Fan symbol; and Hossain Mohammad Omar Faruk of Bangladesh Congress, with the Duck symbol.

Security has been strengthened ahead of the election. Members of the police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Special Response Battalion (SRB) and Ansar are on duty. Security arrangements also include six mobile patrol teams, two strike reserve teams, a dog squad, a bomb disposal unit and drones. Body-worn cameras will also be used by personnel on duty.

District Returning Officer Kamrul Islam said CCTV cameras had been installed at every polling centre. A total of 5,300 security personnel are being deployed, and arrangements have been made to appoint magistrates to help maintain law and order.

Superintendent of Police Md. Belal Hossain and BGB Thakurgaon Sector Commander Colonel Md. Suruj Mia said the necessary measures had been taken to ensure voters could cast their ballots safely and without disruption.