Manikganj poura by-polls today

About 34,674 voters are expected to exercise their franchise to elect chairman of the pourasabha.

Adequate measures have been taken to ensure free and fair election in all 19 centres of the municipality, according to Returning Officer Kazi Meraj Hossain.

However, all the 19 centres in the pourasabha has been declared vulnerable.

Meraj Hossain who is also an additional district magistrate told this correspondent a magistrate, necessary police including battalion police and BDR will be deployed in each centre. Six mobile teams will remain vigilant to maintain the law and order during the election period. They will patrol the entire pourasabha area to combat any untoward incident, he said.

Six candidates are contesting in the election. They are Four-party Alliance candidate Belayet Hossain Khan (Umbrella), Awami League candidate Romjal Ali (Candle), Sudev Saha (Bullock-cart), BNP rebel candidate Nasir Uddin Ahmed Jady (Bicycle), Ujjal Ahmed (Wheel) and Kazi Rayhan Uddin Tuku (Wall Clock) who won't contest the election.

The post of chairman fell vacant following removal of Md Mosharaf Hossain Babul after no-confidence by the commissioners on September 3 last year.