Awami League backed candidate Shawkat Hachanur Rahman Rimon won the Barguna-2 by-elections by a small margin. He bagged 65,813 votes with ‘boat’ symbol, while his contender candidate Golam Sarwar Hiru of Islami Andolon Bangladesh got 57,993 votes with ‘hand fan’ symbol, in the election boycotted by Main opposition BNP. Returning Officer Mostofa Faruk announced the result around 10:30 pm after counting ended.
The total voters of the constituency, consisting of Patharghata, Bamna and Betagi upazilas is 2,31,173 — 112,788 males and 118,385 females. The total number of polling centres is 96 with 528 booths.
Vote casting started at 8am and continued till 4pm uninterruptedly. Tight security measures were taken to avert any kind of untoward incidents, said EC officials.
The Barguna-2 seat had fallen vacant following the death of MP Golam Sabur Tulu in a road accident on July 26.
The Election Commission had fixed Oct 3 as the date for the by-poll.
There was a legal obligation for the Election Commission to hold the by-election by October 23 as the article 123 (4) of the Constitution states, ”Election to a seat of the Parliament, upon its falling vacant for a specific reason, must be held within ninety days of the occurrence of the vacancy.”
-With The Independent input
