Voting is under way in by-polls in Rangpur 3 constituency that fell vacant following the death of Jatiya Party (JaPa) founder HM Ershad on Jul 14.

The polling starts at 9:00am on Saturday (Oct 5) and will continue till 5:00pm at a stretch.

Electronic voting machines (EVMs) are being used at all 1,023 booths in the 175 polling centres of the constituency.

As many as six candidates are contesting in the by-election, Returning Officer GM Sahatab Uddin was quoted by state news agency BSS as saying on Friday (Oct 4).

The candidates are Jatiya Party (JaPa)-nominated Rahgir Al Mahi Saad Ershad (plough), BNP-nominated candidate Rita Rahman (sheaf of paddy), independent candidate Hossain Mokbul Shahriar Asif (motor car), National People Party-nominated candidate Shafiul Alam (mango), Gano Front-nominated candidate Muhammad Shahidullah (fish), and Khelafat Majlish-nominated candidate Tauhidur Rahman Mandal Raju (wall clock).

“A four-tier security measures have been taken to conduct the by-polls "peacefully in a free, fair, transparent, and credible manner,” said Sahatab, who is also the Rangpur regional election officer.

As many as 441,224 voters - 220,823 males and 220,401 females - voters will exercise their franchise in the by-election.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police and Ansar members, along with executive magistrates and judicial magistrates, have been deployed to maintain law and order during the election.