The Election Commission (EC) will start dispatching postal ballots to expatriate voters registered to participate in the upcoming elections for the Bogura-6 and Sherpur-3 constituencies.
Salim Ahmad Khan, team leader of the OCV-SDI project on expatriate voter registration, said that postal ballots are being sent to 1,281 expatriate voters in Bogura-6.
Meanwhile, the process has already begun for 383 registered overseas voters in Sherpur-3.
Preparations are underway to ensure that all postal ballots reach registered expatriates in both constituencies on Thursday.
EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed explained on Wednesday that two types of postal ballots will be issued -OCV for expatriate voters and ICV for voters residing within the country.
While OCV ballots for overseas voters are being sent from Thursday, the process for receiving postal votes domestically is scheduled to start around 23 or 24 March.
According to the EC’s timetable, voting for the Bogura-6 by-election and the Sherpur-3 general election will take place on 9 April from 7:30am to 4:30pm.
Voting will be conducted through ballot papers using transparent ballot boxes.
In Sherpur-3, five candidates have submitted nomination papers. Md Mahmudul Haque Rubel has submitted nomination paper from BNP, while Md Masudur Rahman has filed under Jamaat-e-Islami.
Additionally, one candidate each from Islami Andolan Bangladesh and the Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist), as well as one independent candidate, are contesting.
Following scrutiny by the returning officer, no appeals were filed, leaving all candidates valid.
For the vacant Bogura-6 seat, three candidates have filed nominations. Md Rezaul Karim Badsha is contesting on behalf of BNP, while Md Abidur Rahman represents Jamaat-e-Islami.
A candidate from the Bangladesh Development Party has also submitted papers. No appeals were made after scrutiny, confirming all candidates as valid contestants.
The EC has scheduled 14 March as the final date for withdrawal of candidacy for both constituencies, with election symbols to be allotted on 15 March.
