The Election Commission (EC) has made all preparations to hold the Tangail-4 by-election today. According to EC sources, three candidates are in the fray—the Awami League's (AL's) Hasan Imam Khan Sohel Hazari, Bangladesh Nationalist Front's (BNF's) Ataur Rahman Khan, and Imrul Kayes of the National People's Party (NPP). A total of 3,07,700 voters will cast their ballots in 661 booths of 107 polling centres. Among them, 1,52,833 are male and 1,54,867 female. The constituency fell vacant following the resignation of former posts and telecommunications minister Abdul Latif Siddique from Parliament for making derogatory comments on Hajj. The by-poll was scheduled to be held on October 28, 2015, as per the EC’s announcement, but was postponed following a stay order from the High Court. Kader Siddique, younger brother of Latif Siddique, submitted his nomination paper on October 11, 2015, but the returning officer cancelled his nomination two days later as the Bangladesh Bank’s credit information bureau declared him a loan defaulter.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld the verdict of the High Court verdict rejecting Kader Siddique’s writ petition that challenged the legality of the EC’s decision, thus disqualifying him from contesting the by-poll. On January 23, the EC issued a circular announcing that the by-poll will be held on January 31.
The Commission has deployed law enforcers and judicial as well as executive magistrates till February 1 to ensure security of the voters and assist in holding the by-poll in a peaceful manner.  The EC has also formed a monitoring cell at the EC office in the capital to get all information about the by-poll, including the law and order situation, and to provide assistance to the returning officer and presiding officers.