78 collect AL forms to contest in five seats

A total of 78 aspirants collected application forms to get Awami League (AL) tickets to contest in the by-elections to five parliamentary seats, report agencies.
The polls will be held in Dhaka-10, Gaibandha-3 and Bagerhat-4 on March 21 while the polls dates for Bagura-1 and Jashore-6 are yet to be announced. The AL started distribution of application forms on February 8 at the AL president's Dhanmondi political office here.
Friday was the last date for the party's form collection and submission. The interviews of the intending candidates will be held at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's official Ganabhaban residence today at 7pm.
Besides, application form distribution and submission for Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) polls also ended on Friday which started on Monday.
A total of 20 persons collected forms for mayoral post while 405 for councillor posts.
Besides, seven aspirants have bought BNP's nomination forms to contest the upcoming by-polls to three parliamentary seats in Dhaka, Bagerhat and Gaibandha.
They collected the nomination forms from BNP's Nayapaltan central office on Friday.
Of them, party leaders Rabiul Islam Robi collected the form for contesting the Dhaka-10 by-election while Kazi Muniruzzaman, Monirul Haque, Kazi Khairuzzaman Shipon Bagerhat-4 and Mainul Hasan Sadik, Rafiqul Islam and Mizanur Rahman Sarker Gaibandha-3 by-polls.
The party's nomination board will finalise the candidates for the three by-elections after interviewing the nomination seekers.
The by-elections to Gaibandha-3, Bagerhat-4 and Dhaka-10 constituencies will be held on March 21 as per the schedule announced by the Election Commission on February 6.
According to the schedule, the deadline for the submission of nomination paper is February 19 while the date for scrutinising the nomination paper is February 23 and the last date for the withdrawal of candidacy is February 29.
Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be used in Dhaka-10, while traditional ballot papers in Gaibandha-3 and Bagerhat-4 constituencies in the elections, he said.
Gaibandha-3 and Bagerhat-4 constituencies fell vacant following the death of Awami League MPs Dr M Yunus Ali Sarker on December 27 and Dr Mozammel Hossain on January 10 last respectively.
But the Dhaka-10 fell vacant as AL MP Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh resigned on December 29 to contest the Dhaka South City Corporation election.