More than two lakh voters of Noakhali-1 constituency go to polls today to elect their representative in the ninth parliament. People in the constituency expect a neck-and-neck battle even though the constituency is considered a BNP stronghold. Awami League (AL) last won the constituency way back in 1973.

Election to Noakhali-1 (Chatkhil-Sonaimuri) was deferred following the mysterious death of Gonotantri Party leader and grand alliance candidate Nurul Islam on December 4.

Authorities completed necessary preparations for the polls and a three-layer security around all 105 polling centres have been put in place. A total of 1,955 members of police, ansar and armed police battalion have been deployed. Rapid Action Battalion and Bangladesh Rifles personnel will also be on duty as strike force.

Returning Officer Md Abdul Hoque of the constituency said everything is set for the polls. "We have taken preparations…we will ensure foolproof security for the election to be held in a free and fair manner," he said, adding, "Law enforcers and adequate number of magistrates will be present. A 19-member team of police and ansar will be deployed to each polling centre."

Hoque said they identified 62 centres as vulnerable to violence and additional security measures will be in place there. Noakhali police chief Ashraful Alam refused to identify the 62 polling centres as vulnerable. He termed them comparatively important centres since they have high number of voters.

A total of six candidates remain in the race after withdrawal of nomination papers.

Among them, grand alliance partner Jatiya Party had nominated Mahbubur Rahman and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal had made Harun-Ur-Rashid a candidate. Both of them unofficially pulled out on January 7 and pledged support for Awami League candidate HM Ibrahim.

The BNP-led four-party alliance nominated Mahbubuddin Khokan.

The other two candidates are Amanullah of Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Janata League and Abdur Rahim of Islami Andolan Bangladesh.

Awami League candidate Ibrahim expects a massive victory. He, however, claimed that supporters of BNP were intimidating his voters.

BNP nominee Mahbubuddin Khokan yesterday said, "If voters are safe tonight and not intimidated tomorrow morning, I will win by a margin of 60,000 votes."

Several lawmakers of Awami League and MPs-elect of four-party are at the constituency on the occasion of polls.

"It is impossible to make prediction about the election as voters are very much conscious about politics," said Abul Hasib, a local businessman.

"The withdrawal of Jatiya Party nominee Mahbubur Rahman and his support for Ibrahim will have a significant impact on votes," Abedur Rahman, a shopkeeper, said at Chatkhil.

Asked about the nationwide landslide victory of Awami League, college student Hasibul Haq, said, "Whatever happened elsewhere does not matter here. We will vote with local issues in mind."

Khorshed Alam Babul, a member of Chatkhil Awami League and nephew of late Nurul Islam, is seeing the election as a tug of war between two localities. "Mahbub is from Sonaimuri and Ibrahim is from Chatkhil."