<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The Election Commission (EC) is observing the Dhaka-17 by-polls and elections of Pirojpur Bhandaria and Jashore's Benapole municipalities through CCTV cameras today (July 17, 2023) from the control room in Dhaka.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">The Election Commission has set up 1,058 CCTV cameras, including 853 for Dhaka-17 constituency, to monitor the elections, said EC sources.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibur Awal; Election Commissioners Brigadier General (retd) Ahsan Habib Khan, Rasheda Sultana, Md Anisur Rahman; Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath; NID Director General AKM Humayun Kabir; and IDEA-2 Project Director Brigadier General Abul Hasnat Mohammad Sayem have been monitoring the polls since this morning.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Election monitoring is being done by installing two CCTV cameras in each polling station.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">No untoward incident has been reported in the election so far.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Voting in Dhaka-17 constituency and election in seven municipalities of seven districts started at 8 am, and it will continue till 4 pm without any break.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">In the Dhaka-17 constituency, eight candidates are running in the race to be elected member of the parliament. The seat comprising Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara and part of Dhaka Cantonment fell vacant after the death of popular actor and freedom fighter Akbar Hossain Pathan Farooque on May 14 this year.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">A total of 33 mayoral candidates are running for seven posts, while 102 female contestants for 21 reserve seats and 364 contenders for 63 general councillor posts in the seven municipalities. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>