<div><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Awami League nominated candidate Mohammad Ali Arafat was unofficially declared winner in the by-election to Dhaka-17 constituency held on Monday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Arafat bagged 28,816votes while his nearest rival Independent&nbsp; candidate Ashraful Alam, better known as “Hero Alam”, secured 5,609 votes.</div><div><br></div><div>Senior District Election Officer Md Munir Hussain Khan, returning officer of the Dhaka-17 by-election, announced the results of all 124 centres.</div><div><br></div><div>Among other candidates, Jatiya Party’s candidate Sikder Anisur Rahman (Plough) got 1,328votes, Zaker Party candidate (Rose) Kazi Rashidul Hasan got 923 votes, Bangladesh Sangskritik Muktijote (Cane) candidate Akter Hossain bagged 64 votes, independent Tariqul Islam Bhuiyan (Truck) got 52 votes, Swapan of Bangladesh Congress (Green coconut) candidate Rezaul Karim bagged 43, Trinamul BNP (Golden fiber) candidate Sheikh Habibur Rahman got 202 votes.</div><div><br></div><div>A total of 37, 420 voters cast their votes in Dhaka-17 by-polls.</div><div><br></div><div>The voter turnout in Dhaka-17 by-polls was recorded at 11.51%, according to the returning officer.</div><div><br></div><div>Voting in the Dhaka-17 by-election began at 8 am and continued till 4 pm without any break.</div><div><br></div><div>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 MP on 14 May this year.</div><div><br></div><div>However, Tariqul Islam Bhuiyan, an independent candidate contesting the Dhaka-17 by-polls, boycotted the election this morning amid allegations of irregularities. Tariqul made the announcement after voting began around 8 am on Monday morning.</div><div><br></div><div>In the evening, “Hero Alam” was physically assaulted while leaving a polling centre in the Banani area.</div><div><br></div><div>Hero Alam was attacked by some miscreants in the afternoon while he was leaving the Banani Bidyaniketan School polling centre, UNB photographer reported from the spot.</div><div><br></div><div>The Election Commission (EC) observed the Dhaka-17 by-polls through CCTV cameras from the control room in Dhaka.</div><div><br></div><div>The Election Commission set up 853 CCTV cameras for Dhaka-17 constituency to monitor the election, said EC sources.</div><div><br></div><div>On June 01, the Election Commission announced the by-election schedule for Dhaka-17 which fell vacant following the death of ruling Awami League MP Akbar Hossain Pathan alias Farooque. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>