All the four candidates backed by opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have won the mayoral elections in the four city corporations – Sylhet, Barisal, Rajshahi and Khulna – with a large margin of votes over their rival candidates supported by the ruling Awami League. Ariful Haque was the first candidate to have been officially declared elected mayor of Sylhet City Corporation by the Returning Officer. As per results available from all the 128 polling centres of the city, Ariful Haque got a total of 107,330 votes while his rival former mayor Badruddin Ahmed got 72,173 votes. At 12:15 am on Sunday, Ahsan Habib Kamal was declared elected mayor of Barisal City Corporation amid thunderous applause of his supporters. Ahsan Habib Kamal bagged 83,751 votes and his rival former mayor Shawkat Hossain Hiron received 66,741 votes from a total of 100 polling centres in the city.
Even though the results from Rajshahi and Khulna City Corporations were not announced till filing this report at 1:30 am Sunday, the victory of BNP-backed candidate Mossadek Hossain Bulbul over his rival Awami League-supported candidate Khairuzzaman Liton in Rajshahi as well as the winning of BNP’s Moniruzzaman Moni over his rival AL’s Talukder Khaleq in Khulna was certain.
Meanwhile, opposition BNP leaders went to the Election Commission office in Dhaka late at night and expressed their concern over the delay of the election results, especially from Rajshahi and Khulna City Corporations. They met with the EC officials and urged them to speed up vote counting in the two cities and announce the election results immediately.
“People across the country are closely watching the city corporation elections and they want to see whether or not these significant polls are being held in a free and fair manner,” BNP Standing Committee Member Abdul Moeen Khan said adding: “If election results are delayed, people get concerned. Therefore, we hope the EC will take note of the people’s concern and expeditiously announce the election results from Rajshahi and Khulna.”
In an instant reaction to a private television channel in the early hours of Sunday, Awami League Advisory Council Member Advocate Yousuf Humayun said the local issues including the Hefazat factor played a significant part in Saturday’s city corporation elections. “The city polls proved that it is possible to hold free and fair national elections under the partisan government,” he said adding that Awami league needs to go closer to the people and work much harder with dedication.
Earlier, voting took place in all four divisional headquarters in a peaceful manner with a heavy turnout of over 70 percent voters. Each of the four cities wore a festive look with a carnival-like atmosphere prevailing at many places throughout the day. Heavy contingents of police, RAB and BGB patrolled the four cities to maintain law and order.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina praised Bangladesh Nationalist Party for participating in the city corporation elections and held out her hope that the opposition party would also join the forthcoming parliamentary elections expected to be held later this year or early next in the country.
STAFF REPORTER
BNP backed candidate Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul defeated AL backed candidate Khairuzzaman Liton in mayoral poll in the Rajshahi City Corporation Election. According to the unofficial result of 136 polling centres of the total 137 centres, Bulbul bagged 131,769 votes against AL backed candidate Liton who received 83,389 votes.
The election for the Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) went off peacefully. There were no reports of any untoward incident. The casting of votes at all 137 polling centres under 30 wards was peaceful. The percentage of votes was also satisfactory, said Election Commission (EC) officials in Rajshahi. The three mayoral contestants in Rajshahi, the Nagorik Committee-backed candidate, former RCC Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Sommilito Nagorik Forum-backed candidate Mosaddeuqe Hossain Bulbul and Indepen-dent candidate Habibur Rahman cast their votes at their respective polling centres.
Sohel Rana, presiding officer at the Satellite Town High School polling centre, said both HM Khairuzzaman Liton and Mosaddeque Hossain Bulbul cast their votes at the centre in the morning.
After casting his vote, Khairuzzaman Liton said he was happy that polling was being held peacefully. He said he was emphasising on three issues — casting of votes, counting of votes and announcement of results. If these took place without fear, he would accept the result even if he was defeated, he added.
Khairuzzaman Liton also said that the Jamaat-Shibir dominated wards 2, 3, 26, 28 and 29 and they would try to influence polling. He asked law enforcers to remain vigilant.
Sommilito Nagorik-Forum backed candidate Mosaddeque Hossain Bulbul visited various polling centres under wards 1, 3, 22, 23 and 24 till 1pm, and expressed satisfaction over the polling. He, however, lodged a complaint at the Tarun Sangha School centre in ward 24, that people from the administration were encouraging voters to cast their ballots in favour of Liton (symbol “Lock”). However, EC officials promptly looked into the matter and took action against those people. He also said that he would comment on the polling after holding meetings with his polling agents at all the centres after the elections were over.
Suvash Chandra Sarker, returning officer, said polling at all the 137 polling centres of 30 wards were held peacefully. He thanked EC officials, law enforcement agency members and the people of Rajshahi for helping him in holding the RCC elections peacefully.
Tension, however, prevailed among supporters of Liton and Bulbul at the Kasiadanga Primary School centre in ward 1 and law enforcement agency members rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control.
SM Monir-uz-Zaman, Commissioner of the Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, thanked everybody for free and fair poll.
The EVMs (electronic voting machines) were used for the first time at three centres of ward 8: the Laboratory High School, TT College and the Laxmipur Girls’ High School.
STAFF REPORTER
BNP backed candidate Ahsan Habib Kamal has been unofficially elected the mayor of the Barisal City Corporation. Returning officer Md Mujibar Rahman announced the unofficial result of all the 100 polling centres of the city corporation where Kamal got 83,751 votes beating his rival AL backed candidate Shawkat Hossain Hiron, who bagged 66,741 votes. In his instant reaction Kamal expressed his gratitude to the voters of the Barisal City Corporation.
The third Barisal City Corporation (BCC) election was held peacefully on Saturday, with over 70 per cent of votes being cast, though it was marked by stray incidents of violence. Returning officer Md. Mujibor Rahman said the election was held in a very peaceful manner and expressed his satisfaction about the conduct of the
election. He also said the rate of voting would be around 70 per cent, adding that no major untoward situation occurred.
A youth, identified as Samsul Islam, was arrested with a light gun on Friday night by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from Polashpur area of the city. He was handed over to Kawnia police station. The sister of a councillor was injured last night when she was attacked by relatives of the rival candidate at Polashpur. Again, local people nabbed one Abdur Rahman from Amtola area with Tk. 500 in his possession, which had been given to him by the agent of a candidateon Friday night.
Supporters of rival mayoral candidates clashed with each other at polling centres in the morning. The police charged batons at Kawni and Commercial College centres to bring the situation under control.
Ashraful Kabir, presiding officer of Rupatali Government Primary School centre under ward no. 24, said he suspended casting of votes from 1:42pm to 2:42pm, after about 50 per cent of ballots were cast, following clashes between two groups of people. Returning officer Mujibor Rahman said he went to the spot and a strike force of the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) was sent there for resumption of voting, which started after an hour.
Mojibur Rahman Sarwar, president of the city Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) unit and lawmaker, Ahsan Habib Kamal, the mayoral candidate backed by the 18-Party Alliance, and Ebaiudul Huq Chan, convener of the district BNP unit, went to the spot and said if casting of votes was not peaceful, free and fair, then they would call for a mass movement.
BNP national committee member and former lawmaker Abul Hossain Khan was injured by activists of a rival group there. Ahsan Habib Kamal was also injured there.
Supporters of candidates backed by the 14-Party and 18-Party alliances attacked each other at Kawnia Girls’ School centre at about 10am. The police later charged batons and brought the situation under control.
At 9:30 am, Jobayer Ebne Eysuf, polling agent of the candidate supported by the 18-Party Alliance, was allegedly manhandled by the outgoing mayor and mayoral candidate backed by the 14-party grand Alliance, Shawkat Hossain Hiron, at Sagardi Alia Madrasa polling booth no 5.
Nasrin Jahan, assistant presiding officer of Commercial College centre, was removed from duty at about 1am following allegations of bias.
At A Karim Ideal College Centre under ward no. 6 of the city, women voters staged a demonstration against the deployment of only male law-enforcement personnel at around11:45 am. After that, 10 female members of the police and Ansar were deployed there.
Mayoral candidate Shawkat Hossain Hiron and others said the election was held in a free, fair and peaceful way. However, Ahsan Habib Kamal and Mahmudul Haque Mamun, the other contestants for the post of mayor, levelled allegations about the slow rate of casting of votes as a result of inefficiencies of the election officials and improper arrangements of booths.
Barisal Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Shoyeb Ahmed said they raided the houses of accused persons wanted in connection with different criminal cases without considering their political affiliations. Till the time of filing of this report, a total of 14 persons were arrested, three illegal arms recovered and more than 98 per cent of all licensed arms had been deposited with the authorities, the police official said.
Ebaidul Huq Chan, the chief election agent of the candidate backed by the 18-Party Alliance, said overenthusiastic personnel of law enforcement agencies in the areas of the northern part of the city, like Amanatganj, Saw Road, Gagon Goli and Palashpur Cluster Village, where the majority of his supporters live, sparked panic among the voters and discouraged them. The voters were heard complaining about the voting procedure, as a result of which the process of casting of votes slowed down.
When asked about the overenthusiastic activities of the law enforcement agencies at voter centres in different areas of the city, returning officer Mujibor Rahman said the election was held under an independent EC and steps were taken to ensure a free and fair election. There was no intention to create panic among the real voters except miscreants.
Advocate Ahmedul Kabir, Hiron’s chief election agent said that the environment for a free, fair and peaceful election prevailed from the beginning to the end in the election all over the city.
STAFF REPORTER
Khulna BNP backed candidate Monirujjaman Moni won the mayoral poll. According to the unofficial results of 287 centres out of 288, Moni got 181,265 votes beating his rival AL backed candidate Talukder Abdul Khalek who received 120,058 votes. In his instant reaction he expressed his deep gratitude to the voters for electing him.
The much-talked-about Khulna City Corporation (KCC) polls were held peacefully in Khulna city on Saturday. Two major mayoral candidates, however, made rigging allegations against each other. The Election Commission put in 288 presiding officers, 1,428 assistant presiding officers and 2,856 polling officers to conduct the polls at 288 centres and 1,428 permanent and 33 temporary polling booths. According to KMP Special Branch deputy commissioner Rasida Begum, more than 9,000 members from different law enforcement agencies were deployed on Saturday.
Besides, 31 mobile teams of the police, BGB, Armed Police Battalion (APBN) and RAB-6 patrolled the city and two police teams kept vigil on the nearby river routes. Also, 30 executive and judicial magistrates were on duty to help law enforcement agencies in maintaining peace. A few vehicles, belonging to different media outlets, law enforcers and poll-observers, plied the streets. Most shops and shopping arcades downed their shutters.
Police, RAB and Ansar battalions were deployed at the polling centres. Heavy security was visible at road crossings and other strategic points of the city. The entire city, particularly the areas adjacent to the polling centres, was decorated and the walls were covered with black and white posters.
STAFF REPORTER
BNP backed candidate Ariful Huq Chowdhury won the mayoral election in Sylhet City Corporation. According to the unofficial result announced by the returning Officer at 11.45 pm, Ariful bagged 107,330 votes defeating AL backed candidate Badruddin Kamran got 72,173 votes. Accepting the result Kamran congratulated Ariful and said that he would extend his full cooperation to Ariful.
The election to the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) was held peacefully on Saturday, without any untoward situation occurring. Observers monitoring the voting centres in SCC said the voters cast their ballots peacefully, adding that they were satisfied with the environment for voting this year. Law enforcement personnel took a great deal of care to ensure that the SCC election was held peacefully.
To ensure safety of voters and candidates, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel patrolled centres all over the city during voting. Over 3,000 policemen and 1,800 Ansar members were on duty in the voting centres. Around 20 members of various forces were on duty at every voting centre and a mobile team was assigned to four voting centres. Police teams with around 40 members each patrolled all the voting centres in Sylhet.
Sylhet city Awami League (AL) president Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran, the candidate backed by the AL-led 14-party Grand Alliance, and former city Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) president Ariful Haque Chawdhury, backed by the BNP-led 18-Party Alliance, are the primary contestants for the mayoral post in the SCC election. There are a total of 2,91,046 voters in SCC this year. Of them, 1,57,181 are male voters and 1,33,865 are females. The voter list shows that this year, there are around 34,000 new voters compared to the last election in 2009, which had 2,56,480 voters. The voters cast their ballots in over 127 voting centres of 27 wards in SCC. There were 907 booths in the 127 voting centres and 1,792 polling agents observed the voters.
Badar Uddin Kamran and Ariful Haque Chawdhury cast votes in favour of their respective electoral symbols. At around 8am, Chawdhury cast his vote on his electoral sign ‘television’ at the voting centre in Raynagar Government High School.
-With The Independent input
