Ershad’s son wins Rangpur seat in by-polls

Rahgir Al Mahi Shad has won the parliamentary by-election to Rangpur-3 seat on the ticket of the Jatiya Party founded by his late father HM Ershad.

Widely known as Shad Ershad, he bagged 58,878 votes to defeat his nearest rival, the BNP’s Rieta Rahman, who polled 16,974, by a margin of 41,604.

Returning Officer Shahtab Uddin announced the results more than two hours after the voting ended at 5pm on Saturday.

The constituency has nearly 400,500 voters.

The lacklustre by-election to the Jatiya Party stronghold vacated after the death of the party’s Chairman Ershad began in 175 polling stations at 8am with the absence of the ruling Awami League.

Electronic voting machines or EVMs were used for the voting.

Shad earlier expressed satisfaction over the vote, but Rieta, daughter of Mashiur Rahman Jadu Mia, a member of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s cabinet, accused the administration of conducting the election unfairly.

Hours after voting began in the morning, it was found that several polling stations were void of voters. Polling agents passed relaxed time.

Rieta said, "The administration raided the homes of BNP activists last night. The voting equipment were taken away. "

A written complaint had been lodged to the returning officer, she said.

However, Shahtab Uddin said the voting was held peacefully amid festive mood.

As many as 3,500 security personnel were deployed for the by-polls to the Jatiya Party stronghold, which consists Rangpur Sadar Upazila, Rangpur Cantonment and 25 of 33 Rangpur City Corporation wards.

Apart from the Jatiya Party and the BNP, the Khelafat Majilsh, the Gono Front and two independents also contested the elections.

Ershad’s nephew and former MP Hossain Moqbul Shahriar Asif contested independently with motorcar symbol after failing to secure the party ticket. NPP’s Shafiul Alam took part in the election with mango symbol, Khelafat Majish’s Touhidur Rahman Mandal with wall clock symbol and Gono Front’s Kazi Md Shahidullah Bayezid with fish symbol.

Only Asif and Touhidur are voters of the constituency. The others were allowed to visit the polling stations as they were not voters.

The by-election lost much of the heat when the ruling Awami League withdrew its candidate Rezaul Karim Razu from the contest in support of its ally, the Jatiya Party, which is the official opposition in parliament.

Ershad won the seat in the Dec 30 elections last year as the candidate of the Awami League-led alliance.

After his death on July 14, the Election Commission announced the schedule for the by-election on Sept 1.