AL candidate quits race in favour of JP contestant

Awami League (AL) candidate Rezaul Karim Razu has withdrawn his candidature from the by-polls to the Rangpur-3 seat, which fell vacant after the death of Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad, report agencies.

Razu, general secretary of the Rangpur district wing of AL, pulled out on the last day of nomination withdrawal, said Returning Officer Shahtab Uddin.

The local AL leader submitted an application to the returning officer to withdraw his candidature.

Office Secretary of district AL Tauhidur Rahman Tutul said AL- nominated candidate Advocate Rezaul Karim Razu withdrew his candidature as per decision taken by the party's high command supporting the Mohajote (JP) candidate.

Earlier, twelve aspirant candidates collected nomination papers to vie in the Rangpur-3 by-polls and three of them, including AL leader Abdul Mazid, JP leaders SM Fakhr-uz-Zaman Jahangir and SM Yasser, did not submit their nominations papers.

Later on September 11 last, nomination papers submitted by independent candidate and BNP leader Kawser Zaman Babla and Ekramul Haque of Bangladesh Congress were cancelled during the scrutiny.