<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Tariqul Islam Bhuiyan, an independent candidate contesting the Dhaka-17 by-polls, boycotted the election this morning amid allegations of irregularities.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tariqul made the announcement after voting began around 8 am this morning.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“A fair election is not possible under the current government,” Tariqul told media at Dhaka’s Banani Model School polling centre.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said that he withdrew from the polls as his polling agents were “obstructed” from entering polling stations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“None of my agents were allowed to enter polling stations. Awami League leaders and activists have created a hostile situation outside the centres; even police are obstructing my people from entering the polling centres," he claimed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Voting in Dhaka-17 constituency started at 8 am, and it will continue till 4 pm without any break. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>