BOGRA. July 6: By-election to the Bogra-4 Jatiya Sangsad seat will be held tomorrow amidst boycott by all the opposition parties.

Opposition parties decided to keep away from the election to pressurise the government to concede to their common demand for holding general elections under a caretaker government.

The Parliament seat comprising Kahalu and Nandfgram thanas fell vacant with the death of Azizul Huq Mollah of the ruling BNP on April 10.

A low turnout is forecast by district officials, politicians and others concerned.

This is for the first time that all opposition parties are boycotting a

parliamentary by-election.

Dr. Ziaul Huq Mollah of the BNP and two independent can- didtes are vying for the seat. The independents are Rafiqul Islam Pinku and Azimush Shan.

While visiting several villages of Kahalu thana today, this correspondent found a total lack of any enthusiasm among the voters. Only the activists for the three candidates are taking interest in the polling.

Some of the voters are even unaware of the election because of very poor campaigning. shorn of the usual feverish electioneering.

During an hour-long visit this correspondent saw no sign of election activities except some posters seeking votes for the ruling party candidate.

A two-day campaigning by BNP chairperson and Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia for her party nominee on July 3 and 4 also failed to generate any noticeable enthusiasm among the voters.

Until campaigning for the by-election officially ended at midnight last nigh, the BNP candidate Dr. Zia son of Az-izul Huq Mollah organised some public rallies in differen parts of the constituency.

Independent candidate Raflqul Islam Pinku who, many believe, will be Dr. Zia's nearest rival, also organised some rallies In his area Nandigram and also in Kahalu.

There was. however, no campaigning for the other candidate Azimush Shan.

President of Kahalu Thana BNP Ahmed All KabiraJ claimed that although the Awatnl Legue is boycotting the bypolls it is backing Pinku who. he said, was once a Jubo League leader. He estimated a 60-65 per cent turnout ' in tomorrow’s voting.

In the '91 election. 58 per cent votes were cast in Bogra-

The Opposition's antidemocratic practices will help us get more votes than before," a BNP leader of Bogra. Sardar Abdur Rashid said and accused the AL and Jamaat of trying to foil the election.

The AL’s Kahalu thana unit chief Abdul Aziz told reporters that a half- day hartal called here tomorrow is aimed against the anti-Liberation forces but not against the byelection.' The voting area has been exempted from the purview of the hartal, he said.

There are 1.72.932 voters irt this northern constituency.