2023 Dhaka-17 by-election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2023 Dhaka-17 by-election
| country = Bangladesh
| type = by-election
| previous_election = 2018 Bangladeshi general election
| previous_year = 2018
| next_year = 2024
| next_election = 2024 Bangladeshi general election
| seats_for_election = Dhaka-17 Jatiya Sangsad constituency
| election_date = 17 July 2023
| registered = 325,205
| turnout = 11.51% ({{decrease}}54.3 pp)
| image_size =
| image1 = Mohammad A. Arafat portrait.jpg
| party1 = Awami League
| candidate1 = Mohammad A. Arafat
| image2 = Hero Alom.jpg
| candidate2 = Ashraful Alom
| party2 = Independent
| title = MP
| before_election = Akbar Hossain Pathan Farooque
| before_party = Awami League
| after_election = Mohammad A. Arafat
| after_party = Awami League
| map_image = ঢাকা-১৭.svg
| map_size = 200px
| map_caption = Dhaka-17 constituency within Dhaka District
| percentage1 = 77.8%
| percentage2 = 15.1%
| popular_vote1 = 28,816
| popular_vote2 = 5,609
}}
A by-election for the Bangladesh parliamentary constituency of Dhaka-17 was held on 17 July 2023, following the death of incumbent member of Parliament Akbar Hossain Pathan Farooque.{{cite news |title= Actor Farooque passes away |url= https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2023/05/15/actor-farooque-passes-away |access-date= 17 July 2023 |work= Dhaka Tribune |date= 15 May 2023 }} The Awami League nominated Mohammad A. Arafat, an academic and a political advocate of the Awami League, to replace Farooque; he won the by-election with more than 77 percent of the vote, a landslide majority.{{cite news |title= Arafat wins Dhaka-17 by-election |url= https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/elections/news/arafat-wins-dhaka-17-election-3371566 |access-date= 17 July 2023 |work= The Daily Star |date= 17 July 2023 }}{{cite news |title= Dhaka-17 by-polls: Arafat wins by huge margin amid low turnout |url= https://www.dhakatribune.com/election/2023/07/17/dhaka-17-by-polls-awami-leagues-arafat-wins-by-huge-margin |access-date= 18 July 2023 |work= Dhaka Tribune |date= 17 July 2023 }}
This constituency consists of wards 15, 18, 19 and 20 of Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka Cantonment area.{{cite web |url=http://123.49.39.5/delimitation_pdF/const_book_2008.pdf |title=Constituency Maps of Bangladesh |author= |date=2010 |website=Bangladesh Election Commission |format=PDF |access-date=13 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814131945/http://123.49.39.5/delimitation_pdF/const_book_2008.pdf |archive-date=14 August 2014 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.ecs.gov.bd/NewsFilesEng/101.PDF |title=Delimitation of Constituencies |author= |date=2013 |website=Bangladesh Election Commission |format=PDF |language=bn |access-date=23 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727220238/http://www.ecs.gov.bd/NewsFilesEng/101.PDF |archive-date=27 July 2014}} Total eligible voters were 325,205 in this election.
Candidates
A total of 8 candidates were contested for the constituency.
| class="wikitable" |
| colspan="1"| Name
! Election Symbol ! class="unsortable" | ! style="border-left-style:hidden; padding:0.1em 0;"| Party ! Ref. |
|---|
| Mohammad A. Arafat
| Nouka (Boat) | bgcolor="{{party color|Bangladesh Awami League}}" | | rowspan="8" | {{cite news |title=Dhaka-17 by-polls: Hero Alom gets symbol, Tariqul gets back candidature|url= https://www.dhakatribune.com/dhaka/2023/06/26/dhaka-17-by-polls-hero-alom-allocated-ektara-symbol |access-date= 18 July 2023 |work= Dhaka Tribune |date= 26 June 2023 |language=en}} |
| Hero Alom
| Ektara | bgcolor="{{party color|Independent politician}}" | |
| Sikder Anisur Rahman
| Langol (Plough) | bgcolor="{{party color|Jatiya Party (Ershad)}}" | |
| Md Rashidul Hasan
| Golap ful (Rose) | bgcolor="{{party color|Zaker Party}}" | |
| Sheikh Habibur Rahman
| Sonali Aash (Golden fibre) | bgcolor="{{party color|Grassroots BNP}}" | |
| Rezaul Islam Swapan
| Dab (Green Coconut) | bgcolor="{{party color|Bangladesh Congress}}" | |
| Mohammad Akhter Hossain
| Chari | bgcolor="{{party color|Bangladesh Sanskritik Muktijot}}" | |
| Tarikul Islam Bhuiyan
| Truck | bgcolor="{{party color|Independent}}" | |
Incidents
On July 17, 2023, Independent candidate Alom was assaulted by political opponents near a polling center at the Banani Bidyaniketan School and College. The incident occurred at around 3:20 p.m. while Alom was visiting the polling center. According to reports, Alom was taking photos with his fans on the playground of the school when he was approached by a group of people who told him that it was not a place to shoot TikTok videos. The group then began to physically assault Alom, dragging him out of the building after he had entered the corridor. Alom was able to escape in a car. An officer at the scene said that Alom had been accompanied by around 50-60 people, and that law enforcement personnel had ejected them from the polling center to maintain order. The officer also said that the assault on the independent candidate took place outside the polling center premises.
The officer added that the police would collect video footage of the incident and investigate. He said that those responsible for the assault would be brought to justice.{{Cite news |date=2023-07-18 |title=Watch: Shocking video of Hero Alom assaulted by mob goes viral, the actor-social media influencer hospitalized |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movies/news/watch-shocking-video-of-hero-alom-assaulted-by-mob-goes-viral-the-actor-social-media-influencer-hospitalized/articleshow/101846039.cms |access-date=2023-07-18 |issn=0971-8257}}
Result of the by-election
Mohammad A. Arafat was elected as member of Parliament by defeating Independent candidate Hero Alom.{{cite news |title= Awami League’s Arafat wins Dhaka-17 by-election, turnout only 11.5% |url= https://bdnews24.com/amp/story/politics%2Friixbt8723 |access-date= 18 July 2023 |work= Bdnews24.com |date= 17 July 2023 }}
{{Election box begin | title= 2023 Dhaka-17 by-election result{{cite news |title= মোট ভোটার সোয়া ৩ লাখ, আরাফাত জিতলেন ২৮৮১৬ ভোট পেয়ে
|url= https://bangla.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/election/news-497401 |access-date= 18 July 2023 |work= The Daily Star | language = bn | date= 17 July 2023 }}{{cite news |title= Awami League candidate Arafat wins Dhaka-17 by-polls |url= https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/politics/iuj88fkbc4 |access-date= 18 July 2023 |work= Prothom Alo |date= 17 July 2023 }}
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Awami League
|candidate = Mohammad A. Arafat
|votes = 28,816
|percentage = 77.80
|change =N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Independent (politician)
|candidate = Ashraful Alom
|votes = 5,609
|percentage = 15.14
|change =N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Jatiya Party (Ershad)
|candidate = Sikdar Anisur Rahman
|votes = 1,328
|percentage =
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Zaker Party
|candidate = Md Rashidul Hasan
|votes = 923
|percentage =
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Grassroots BNP
|candidate = Sheikh Habibur Rahman
|votes = 202
|percentage =
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Bangladesh Sankritik Muktijot
|candidate = Md Akhtar Hossain
|votes = 64
|percentage =
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Independent (politician)
|candidate = Md Tariqul Islam Bhuiyan
|votes = 52
|percentage =
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Bangladesh Congress
|candidate = Rezaul Islam Swapan
|votes = 43
|percentage =
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes =
|percentage =
|change =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 37,037
|percentage = 11.51
|change =
}}
{{Election box Registered electors|
|reg. electors = 325,205
}}
{{Election box hold with party link without swing|
|winner = Awami League
}}
{{Election box end}}
Reactions
= National =
= International =
The United Nations high commission of Bangladesh showed their concerns over the actions and requested for his protection.{{Cite web |title=Gwen Lewis on Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/GwynLewis12/status/1681156898069049346 |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=Twitter |language=en}}