On the last day of campaigning yesterday, both the BNP and the AL brought out processions and staged rallies at Tongi and Joydevpur in an effort to swing votes.

The second largest constituency with 5,46,293 voters fell vacant at the assassination of AL lawmaker Ahsanullah Master at a rally in Tongi on May 7.

Eight candidates are contesting the polls, but analysts say the main fight will be limited between ruling coalition candidate Prof MA Mannan and his key challenger Zahid Ahsan Russell of the AL. Russell is the eldest son of Ahsanullah.

Ahsanullah was elected lawmaker in 1996 and 2001 and Mannan in 1991 from the seat.

Two huge public rallies at busy highway by the key ruling and the main opposition party caused traffic congestion much to the sufferings of thousands of commuters.

BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan along with other senior party leaders and party nominee MA Mannan addressed the rally while AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil and other opposition leaders as well as the party candidate Russell tried to swing votes in the last minute rally.

In a press release yesterday the Election Commission (EC) Secretariat declared a holiday in Gazipur-2 constituency on the polling day to enable voters to exercise their franchise.

Votes would be cast at as many as 195 polling centres and the EC has already deployed army, police, BDR and members of other law enforcement agencies for fair holding of the by-poll in the wake of controversial Dhaka-10 by-election.

Ruling coalition candidate and Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's former political secretary Mosaddak Ali Falu won the polls amid widespread allegations of vote rigging, false voting and intimidation of rival political activists.

The AL boycotted the July 1 by-polls, but lent support to retired army major Abdul Mannan, a Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh contestant.

The Gazipur-2 by-polls coincide with monsoon flooding that has swamped most regions and brought life to its knees.

The Election Commission on Thursday decided to drop 14 polling officials with alleged bias towards a political party and relocate 22 swamped polling centres.

The EC move came in the wake of AL's allegation that the ruling alliance was planning to rig the polls in connivance with the officials.