Saturday, October 18, 2025

Mannan wins Gazipur city poll

BNP-led 18-party alliance backed candidate Professor MA Mannan is set to be the first mayor of the recently established Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) winning a hard-fought election battle against 14-party alliance supported candidate Azmatullah Khan. Perhaps no other civic body elections generated so much heat and nationwide interest like the GCC election which emerged as a prestige issue for both the ruling AL and the opposition BNP  specially after the stunning victory of the BNP-backed candidates in all the four city corporations last month .
The counting of votes began after an hour of the polling that ended at 4:00pm. According to the unofficial results of 320 polling centres out of total 392, BNP- backed candidate Professor MA Mannan got 255,321 votes and his rival AL- backed candidate Azmat Ullah got  152,020 votes.
However, till 1:30am results of 202 centres were announced from the office of the Returning Officer. According to this result, Mannan got 183,539 votes while his rival Azmat bagged 132,347 votes.
Azmatullah, who had been mayor of the Tongi municipality for consecutive three times  was never defeated in any elections in the last 18 years, has also failed to win in his own polling centre this time.
Ajmat Ullah has been defeated at his own polling centre with the margin of 110 votes.
Ajmat Ullah has bagged 710 only votes at his own polling centre Little Flower Kinder Garten School while the BNP-led 18-party candidate M A Mannan gained 820 votes.
Besides, M A Mannan bagged 1234 votes at his own polling centre Salna Islamia Fajil Madrasa where the Awami League backed candidate Ajmat Ullah gained 413 votes.
After completion of the polling Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Raquibuddin Ahmad said, the election was free and fair. He urged the candidates to accept the result of the election.
According to the election commission the voter turn out was 60 per cent.
Barring stray incidents, election to the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) ended peacefully on Saturday.
Returning officer Matiar Rahman said 55 per cent voters had exercised their franchise till 3 pm. However, the total turnout was expected to be around 65 per cent.
Voting began at 392 polling centres at 8 am amid tight security and the counting began half an hour after the voting ended at 4 pm.
Rahman told The Independent that voting passed off peacefully. “We did not receive any report of untoward incidents from any polling station,” he said.
Since early morning, large number of voters, especially the young and women, stood in queues to cast their votes. A spell of rain in the afternoon
See Page 2 Col 6From Page 1 Col 8
failed to dampen the spirit of the voters.
In some booths, however, voters alleged slow polling. “I have been standing in the queue for almost three hours. I have lots of work at home,” Rahima Khatun, a voter at the  Dewra Primary School centre said.
At the same centre, a 55-year-old woman fell unconscious due to exhaustion as she was standing in the queue for a long time.
Presiding officer Abul Bashar said: “The polling officers and staff were on duty for the first time. Finding the serial number of voters was proving to be difficult at times.”
The two main mayoral candidates — the AL-led alliance-backed Azmat Ullah Khan and the BNP-led alliance-backed Professor MA Mannan, both in the fray for the first time — expressed the hope that they would clinch victory in the country’s largest city corporation election.
Azmat Ullah cast his vote at the Little Flower School near Tangi Bazar at about 8:45 am, while Mannan cast his vote around 9:25 am at the Shalna Islamia Fazil Madrasa. “Voting was peaceful and I am sure of my victory. However, I will accept the people’s verdict as I believe voice of the people is the voice of God,” Azmat Ullah said after casting his vote.
Replying to a question, he said no one could manipulate the election process as the media is vigilant.
He left home at 8:15 am and visited the mazar of Syed Hazrat Shah Sufi Haji and offered fateha at his father’s grave.
Mannan said he would win with a big margin if it is held in a free and fair manner. He, however, expressed doubts about free and fair election because of some influential ruling party leaders and officials. Mannan alleged that law enforcers conducted raids on the houses of his supporters and harassed them on Friday night. “They arrested three of my supporters from the Board Bazar area,” he added.
The Election Commission had declared 235 centres as vulnerable and beefed up security measures. Some 12,000 members of law enforcement agencies had been deployed to ensure free and fair polling. Besides, 19 teams of the Striking Force, each with an executive magistrate, 28 teams of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and 12 platoons of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) had been deployed. There were 57 police teams in 57 wards, in addition to 10 judicial magistrates. There was a scuffle between supporters of Azmat and Mannan at the Government Girls’ College polling centre at 11 am. But the police and BGB intervened to bring the situation under control.
However, tension prevailed at “sensitive” centres. But no major incident was reported till filing of this report in the evening.
Kazi Shakir Shithil, a polling agent of Azmat, was removed from duty for allegedly influencing voters to cast their votes in favour of Azmat at the Ashraf Textile Mills centre in Tongi ward No.57.
As many as seven candidates — 14-party-supported Azmat Ullah Khan, 18-party backed MA Mannan, Mezbah Uddin Sarker, Aman Ullah, Rina Sultana, Jahangir Alam and Nazim Uddin Ahmed — are contesting for the mayor’s post. Later, Jahangir withdrew from the fray and extended support to Azmat.
About 25 per cent votes were cast out of 2,500 voters at tha Little Flower School centre at 11 am.
It was alleged that Chhatra League and Juba League activists brought out a procession in front of the Shaheed Smriti High School around 12 pm in the presence of law enforcers.
Md Nasir, an 18-party supporter, alleged that agents of Mannan were driven out of the Khailpur Bogartek Primary School centre.
As many as 466 candidates are contesting for the post of councillors, in addition to 126 seats reserved for women.
A total of 1,026,964 voters — 499,181 men and 527,783 women — were expected to cast their votes to elect the city’s first mayor, as well as 57 councillors and 19 women councillors (reserved).  The Gazipur City Corporation was formed on January 7 while the poll schedule was declared on May 22.

-With The Independent input

Related News

Bangladesh and KSA sign pact for workers’ rights

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia have just inked a labour recruitment agreement, marking the first deal aimed at promoting fair recruitment practices and protecting workers’ rights. Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser, Prof. Asif Nazrul, and the Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, Engineer Ahmad Bin Solaiman Al-Rajhi, recently came ... Read more

Poor pay, allowances of teachers affect education

World Teacher’s Day today Shahin Akhter Poor pay-scale and allowances and low social status mark the poor condition of the teachers in Bangladesh affecting the education sector, observed educationists and researchers. They also said that the Bangladeshi teachers were lagging much behind their fellows even in the neighbouring countries in terms of these facilities and ... Read more

Protecting hilsa: 22-day fishing ban begins

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The government has put a 22-day halt on catching, transporting, storing, selling, and marketing hilsa throughout the country. This measure aims to protect the fish during its crucial breeding season. The ban started at midnight yesterday and will last until October 25, as stated in a notification from the Ministry of ... Read more

Road fatalities: 446 crashes, 417 lives lost in September

News Desk : dhakamirror.com In September, a tragic report from the Road Safety Foundation revealed that at least 417 people lost their lives and 682 were injured in 446 road accidents throughout Bangladesh. Among those who died, there were 63 women and 47 children, as highlighted in the foundation’s monthly report released today. In 151 ... Read more

Man’s fatal fall into Ramna Park lake

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A tragic incident occurred yesterday at Ramna Park in the capital, where a man drowned in the lake. The victim has been identified as 55-year-old Wasimul Haq. The police were able to identify him using fingerprint records. According to Ramna police SI Mizanur Rahman, he was discovered unconscious around 6:00 PM ... Read more

Tariff Commission’s size-based hilsa pricing strategy

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission (BTTC), also known as the Tariff Commission, has suggested setting a maximum retail price for hilsa based on its size. This recommendation comes in response to the unusual spike in prices seen in the local market. On Sunday, the Tariff Commission released a report detailing ... Read more

Ekushey Book Fair won’t happen in December

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangla Academy announced yesterday (28 September), that the previously scheduled dates for the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 have been postponed. In a press release, they explained that this decision was made following a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs on September 21, which indicated that the fair should ... Read more

Working in Bangladesh is quite challenging: CEC

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Election Commission is grappling with a mix of challenges, both seen and unseen, as it gears up for the upcoming elections and responds to various demands, shared chief election commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on Saturday. “These hurdles might not be apparent from the outside, but we’re constantly navigating through them,” ... Read more

Travel ban on Keokradong hill to be lifted starting from 1 October

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Great news for travelers! Keokradong hill in Bandarban’s Ruma upazila is set to welcome tourists again starting October 1. The district administration has finally lifted the travel ban that had been in effect for almost three years. Bandarban Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shamim Ara Rini announced the decision today (27 September) during ... Read more

Tree planting campaign to lower pollution, make city more attractive

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator Md Shahjahan Mia has inaugurated a tree plantation and greening programme covering 33 road medians, spanning a total length of 31 kilometres, within the corporation’s jurisdiction. Under the “Zero Soil” programme, ornamental flowering trees and grasses will be planted across 28 DSCC medians, while the ... Read more

Krishi Bank ranks third in remittance collection

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Krishi Bank has shown remarkable success in collecting remittances from expatriates during the first eight months of 2025 (January–August). Known as bank for farmers due to its agricultural loan services, this state-owned institution has climbed to the third position in remittance collection from abroad in that timeframe. This notable achievement has ... Read more

North Bay low : Rain forecast for Bangladesh

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Many parts of the country is expected to witness moderate to heavy and very heavy rainfall in the coming days due to the formation of a low-pressure system over the north Bay and adjoining coastal areas, the Met office said in its latest forecast. According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department’s 120-hour weather ... Read more

Metrorail boosts service: Extended hours & more frequent arrivals

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Dhaka metrorail service is set to start operating earlier in the morning and later at night to better serve the growing number of passengers. Service hours will be extended by 30 minutes at both the beginning and end of the day, and the interval between trains will be reduced by nearly ... Read more

22% minors in Bangladesh’s sex trade

News Desk : dhakamirror.com At least 22 percent of victims of commercial sexual exploitation (abuse of a person, or a minor, through sexual activities in exchange for money, goods, or other benefits) in Bangladesh are children, said speakers at an event yesterday. They shared the information at the launch of “Project Shurakkha”, an initiative of ... Read more

WB Reports Bangladesh Heat Costs at $1.78 Billion in 2024

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Rising temperatures in Bangladesh are fueling a surge in heat-related illnesses, leading to the loss of 250 million workdays in 2024 and economic losses estimated at $1.33–1.78 billion, representing about 0.3 to 0.4 percent of Bangladesh’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, according to a new World Bank report. The report ... Read more

Police clearance no longer required for passports

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus announced that police verification will no longer be necessary for obtaining a passport, thereby reducing unnecessary hassle for citizens. “Getting a passport is a basic right. We have established a rule that eliminates the need for police verification,” he stated. While speaking at the opening session ... Read more

Metro rail achieves record 4 lakh daily passengers

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Metro Rail has achieved a remarkable milestone by carrying over 400,000 passengers in a single day. The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), which operates the Metro Rail, announced this achievement on their official Facebook page on Friday night. For the first time, Metro Rail recorded 403,164 passengers. The Metro Rail ... Read more

Most people, about 66% think civil servants behave as if they are rulers

News Desk : dhakamirror.com More than 100,000 participants have contributed their responses to reform commission’s online survey 80% of the respondents believe that the administration is not approachable for the general public, according to a survey conducted by the Public Administration Reform Commission. Additionally, 66% of participants feel that civil servants act as if they ... Read more

Former Justice Abdur Rouf dies

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Former Chief Election Commissioner Justice Md Abdur Rouf has passed away at the age of 91. He died around 10:00 am while receiving treatment at Insaf Barakah Kidney and General Hospital in Dhaka, as stated in a press release. Justice Rouf had been battling heart disease, lung complications, kidney issues, and ... Read more

Bangladesh climbed 4 positions to rank 93rd in global passport index

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh has climbed four notches up in the latest Henley Passport Index 2025, ranking 93rd out of 99. However, the number of visa-free destinations for Bangladeshi passport holders has dropped from 42 in 2024 to 39 this year, reflecting a decline in global travel privileges. Despite this improvement in rank — ... Read more